Department for Transport

Avanti West Coast: Timetables

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department's press notice of 7 October 2022 on Avanti West Coast service, whether Avanti will continue to receive the routine management fee following the implementation of a reduced timetable for Avanti West Coast services.

Kevin Foster: Operators are paid a fixed management fee, which remains unchanged, and a variable performance payment which varies according to the performance score awarded to the operator following an independent evaluation. The independent evaluation will take account of the full range of evidence relevant to the period in question

TransPennine Express: Standards

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has worked with Trans Pennine Express on a service improvement plan.

Kevin Foster: The Department, which manages the contract in partnership with Transport for the North, has been in regular dialogue with TransPennine Express (TPE) to manage the provision of services in the face of prolonged national and local industrial action and a backlog of training caused by COVID.The actions that have been agreed and continue to be discussed include:Ongoing review of timetables to establish a stable and reliable base in the short term;Introduction of additional drivers and conductors;More drivers recruited to reduce TPE’s reliance on rest day working and overtime;

Blue Badge Scheme

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make it her policy to allow blue badge holders to park for longer- in areas where time restrictions apply for other motorists.

Kevin Foster: Blue Badges are recognised throughout the UK and convey a range of on-street parking concessions including being able to park free of charge and without time limit at on-street parking meters and pay-and-display areas.

Parking: Pedestrian Areas

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to publish the Government response to the public consultation on managing pavement parking; and whether her Department plans to introduce legislation to prohibit parking on grass verges in England outside London.

Katherine Fletcher: We are actively considering the options for pavement parking policy (including parking on grass verges) in light of the consultation findings. The Department will publish the formal consultation response and announce next steps as soon as possible.

Trailers: Testing

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits for road safety of extending the list of vehicles and trailers required to undergo a HGV, bus or trailer MOT to include trailers with an unladen weight of less than 1,020kg and caravans.

Katherine Fletcher: In 2019, my Department published the Trailer Safety Report, which recommended further research to better understand the safety risks of light trailers, such as those with an unladen weight of less than 1,020kg and caravans. My Department therefore commissioned the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to undertake randomised roadworthiness checks of these trailers and caravans over a full calendar year to capture seasonal use. Due to the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, the survey period was extended to the summer of 2021. Another calendar year of roadside checks from May 2022 to May 2023 is on-going. My Department will use the data from these roadside checks when considering whether further action is appropriate, but there are no current plans to require trailers with an unladen weight of less than 1,020kg and caravans to undergo an MOT.

Trailers: Testing

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to extend the list of vehicles and trailers required to undergo a HGV, bus or trailer MOT to include trailers with an unladen weight of less than 1,020kg and caravans.

Katherine Fletcher: My Department does not currently have any plans to require trailers with an unladen weight of less than 1,020kg and caravans to undergo an MOT.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the Treasury internal review into HS2 reported in the Financial Times on 17 October 2022.

Kevin Foster: We will not comment on the detail of leaked reports or on commercially sensitive matters. HS2 is well underway delivering vital infrastructure investment to contribute to Britain’s economic growth with 27,000 people working on it already. We do not intend to publish the review as this was internal advice to the Minister for HS2. We report on the programme's status to Parliament every six months and Ministers will provide their next update to Parliament shortly.

Department for Transport: Risk Management

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to page 103 of his Department's Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22, for what reason the principal risk of the Department not being able to deliver its major projects to time or cost or deliver the expected benefits is classified as red; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Foster: The Department has the second largest capital portfolio in government including many very large, complex, and long-term projects. The Principal Risk rating reflects both the impact and probability of risks materialising and so, in this case, the size and complex nature of the portfolio has produced the red rating. DfT actively manages this Principal Risk at both a project and portfolio level and in line with its risk management policy. Improving the Department’s project delivery capability and capacity has been a priority and the Department is now in the second phase of its Project Delivery Improvement Programme.

Department for Transport: Senior Civil Servants

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of senior civil servants working in the (a) Rail Strategy and Services Group, (b) Rail Infrastructure Group and (c) High Speed Rail Group are based in his Department's office in Leeds as on 2 September 2022.

Kevin Foster: As part of our Places for Growth commitments, the Department is growing its presence in its new Birmingham and Leeds hubs, with core department jobs across all grades and professions advertised in these locations. As of 2 September 2022, there were no Senior Civil Servants (SCS) on payroll from Rail Strategy and Services Group, Rail Infrastructure Group and High Speed Rail Group based in the Leeds hub. Overall, there are 4 Senior Civil Servants on payroll across the core Department based in Leeds, and over 180 staff based in Leeds.

Avanti West Coast

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether an operator of last resort from his Department has held recent discussions with Avanti on Avanti West Coast Services.

Kevin Foster: The Operator of Last Resort routinely holds discussions with train operating companies nearing the end of their contract to ensure it is prepared to step in if required.

Railways: Recruitment

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 October 2022 to Question 58984 on Railways: Recruitment, how many train driver vacancies there are in England.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 October 2022 to Question 58984 on Railways: Recruitment, what steps her Department is taking to increase the level of recruitment of train drivers.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 October 2022 to Question 58984 on Railways: Recruitment, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential economic impact of a shortage of qualified train drivers.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 October 2022 to Question 58984 on Railways: Recruitment, how many qualified train drivers there are in England.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 October 2022 to Question 58984 on Railways: Recruitment, how much (a) her Department and (b) train operating companies spent on the recruitment of train drivers in each of the last five years.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 October 2022 to Question 58984 on Railways: Recruitment, what proportion of train drivers who qualified in the last 2 years were women.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 October 2022 to Question 58984 on Railways: Recruitment, what steps she is taking to increase the number of women who qualify as train drivers.

Kevin Foster: Train Operating Companies are best placed to confirm vacancies they may hold within their respective businesses, including train drivers, as they are responsible for the recruitment, training and licensing of their employees. These companies should also have details as to the number of qualified and trainee train drivers they have contracted to work at any one given time. The Department for Transport has ongoing discussions with the train operating companies (TOCs) about a range of matters relating to their contractual obligations which include delivering on their passenger service requirements.

Avanti West Coast: Timetables

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department's press notice, published 7 October 2022 on Avanti West Coast Services, whether the implementation of a reduced timetable by Avanti for Avanti West Coast services will result in reduced revenues being received by the Government from that company.

Kevin Foster: The contract under which AWC operates allocates all cost and revenue risk and reward to the Government. It is therefore anticipated Avanti West Coast’s temporary timetable reduction will reduce both revenue and costs for Government.

West Coast Main Line

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, further to the Answer of the 24 August to Question 45915 with reference to Schedule 6.2, Clause 10.6 West Coast Rail Franchise Agreement, whether a figure was agreed on train driver recruitment and training plans with the Department.

Kevin Foster: Train driver recruitment and training plans were agreed in June 2020. These plans were significantly delayed for the duration of the COVID pandemic, as were recruitment and training across all operators.Just under 100 additional drivers will enter formal service between April and December this year. Avanti is therefore planning a significant increase in services in December.

TransPennine Express: Standards

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department was informed of Trans Pennine Express' plans to reduce services from Monday 12 September before those plans were announced.

Kevin Foster: With the escalation of industrial action from May 2022 (on a national scale), and the continued high staff sickness levels, TPE services had become increasingly unreliable.The reduction in TransPennine Express services was implemented after discussion with the Department, with our partner in managing the TPE national rail contract Transport for the North, and involved stakeholders in the regions affected, including Transport Scotland, Transport for Greater Manchester and Manchester Airport Group.

High Speed 2 Line: Infrastructure

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will hold discussions with the Infrastructure Projects Authority on undertaking a project assurance review of HS2 Phase 2b; and if he will make it his policy to publish the outcome of that review.

Kevin Foster: Officials are already holding discussions with the Infrastructure Projects Authority (IPA) on undertaking a project assurance review of HS2 Phase 2b. We have not in the past made available assurance review outcome reports to the public domain, as to do so would heavily compromise the ability of the IPA to offer honest and impartial advice to the Department.

Railways: North of England

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Prime Minister's commitment to build Northern Powerhouse Rail includes the Leamside Line.

Kevin Foster: The Prime Minister has made clear the Government’s commitment to delivering Northern Powerhouse Rail in full, including a stop in Bradford.There are several options available between Leeds and Newcastle including the restoration of the Leamside line. We will engage closely with local leaders and MPs in reaching detailed decisions on the infrastructure options.Plans will be set out in due course including potential opportunities for acceleration.

Railways: Research

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has she made of the appropriate level of investment in research and development in rail in the next Control Period between 2024 and 2029.

Kevin Foster: Funding for Network Rail's operations, maintenance and renewals activity, including research and development for rail infrastructure, is set across five-year Control Periods. The Government is in the process of determining the funding for Control Period 7 (2024-29) and will publish this later in the autumn. Government funding for other rail research and development programmes will be established through the normal spending review process.

Railways: Tickets

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has taken steps to ensure that people without smartphones or internet access can buy train tickets when ticket offices and machines are closed at train stations.

Kevin Foster: We have no plans to remove ticket machines from stations. Passengers should have access to a ticketing system which is user-friendly, where help and advice from a trained representative is available and is accessible to all. While no final decision has been taken on ticket offices, station staff will still provide face-to-face services on the railways, which can be crucial for those who need additional support. This includes those who cannot or do not want to use contactless or mobile tickets and instead wish to purchase a ticket at the station.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Departmental Responsibilities

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of his Department's policies on the (a) life sciences, (b) space, (c) robotics, (d) artificial intelligence and (e) other industries.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: Government policies on space are driven by the National Space Strategy. We are investing £1.75bn in the sector to support its growth over this spending review period. The annual Size and Health of the UK Space Sector report provides evidence of this growth. By leveraging the UK Life Science ecosystem through our policies, we are addressing critical health challenges, creating highly skilled jobs and increasing inward investment. The Government has provided policy and funding support for robotics, including the Robots for a Safer World Programme which invested £112m for research and development and leveraged over £500m in co-investment.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Railways

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much his Department spent on first class train travel for (a) ministers and (b) civil servants in (i) 2020, (i) 2021 and (iii) 2022.

Dean Russell: The Department’s policy is that staff should always seek to book standard class rail travel for Ministers and Civil Servants, and only by exception should first class rail travel be permitted. Expenditure on first class train travel was as shown in the following table. For 2022, the amounts shown are to the end of August only. First Class Train travel202020212022(a) Ministers£5,168£3,923£3,011(b) Civil Servants£627£3,452£2,694

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to his Department’s publication of spending over £500 with an electronic purchasing card, at which Nicholson’s establishment was £577.50 spent on catering on 21 March 2022; what was the purpose of that event; and who were the attendees.

Dean Russell: The Department spent £577.50 on catering from The Feathers, Broadway SW1H 0BH for an internal all-day Directorate meeting for 125 people.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to his Department’s publication of spending over £500 with an electronic purchasing card, for the accommodation of which individuals was £9,121.42 paid to Airbnb Payments on 20 September 2021; and what were the locations of that accommodation.

Dean Russell: The Department spent £9,121.42 on an Airbnb private house rental for two weeks covering COP26 in Glasgow. This cost covered the accommodation for 4 members of the UK delegation and was needed due to lack of available hotel accommodation in Glasgow and surrounding areas over this period. Due to high demand the price of any available accommodation was higher than usual, and this rental was the most cost-effective option for the delegation.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to his Department’s publication of spending over £500 with an electronic purchasing card, for what purpose was £849.60 paid to Kahoot! ASA on 12 May 2021.

Dean Russell: £849.60 was paid to Kahoot! ASA for material for the Government Science and Engineering Profession stalls at Civil Service Live events across the country. This material was used to deliver practical demonstrations of information conveyed by the team at the events.

Parental Pay: Adoption

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what was the total number of claimants of Statutory Adoption Pay in each financial year since 2015-16.

Dean Russell: Information provided by employers to HMRC show the number of individuals in receipt of Statutory Adoption Pay (SAP). This data provides a broad indication of SAP take-up but does not include anyone taking unpaid Statutory Adoption Leave.Table 1: Individuals in receipt of SAP, 2015/16 to 2021/22 (the latest year for which full year data is available)Year (April to March)No. of individuals in receipt of SAP2015-165,5002016-175,4002017-184,9002018-194,8002019-204,9002020-214,4002021-224,600Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.Figures are based on the total number of individuals in a given year, irrespective of when the payment first started. Some individuals will be counted across two years.

Companies

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for what reasons the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill requires the verification of information about company directors and Persons of Significant Controls but does not require the same for information about company shareholders.

Dean Russell: The purpose of the identity verification proposals in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill is to provide greater confidence in the integrity of information on who owns and controls companies. Those are their directors and those who satisfy one or more of the criteria which qualify them as persons of significant control. In many companies the vast majority of shareholders are passive investors whose holdings are of insufficient size to afford them control. While it is proper that the identity of those shareholders be disclosed in publicly available registers, it would be disproportionate to require their identities to be verified.

Companies: Directors

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the average number of directors in a UK Company.

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the average number of shareholders in a UK company.

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the average number of persons of significant control in a UK company.

Dean Russell: Companies House publishes the requested figures as part of its official statistics, these can be found at the link below. The relevant table is A7.Companies_Register_Activities_2021-22.ods (live.com)The average number of persons of significant control for UK companies in 2021-2022 was 1.28.The average number of shareholders for UK companies in 2021-2022 was 2.15.The average number of directors for UK companies in 2021-2022 was 1.59.

Recovery Loan Scheme

Craig Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make it his policy to ensure that charities applying to the Recovery Loan Scheme are not required to demonstrate a negative impact arising from the covid-19 outbreak in order to secure finance.

Dean Russell: Under the first two iterations of the Recovery Loan Scheme, all applicants had to self-certify that they had been impacted by Covid-19 to access finance through the scheme. This requirement no longer applies to most applicants. Charities can continue to access finance through the scheme where they can self-certify they have been impacted by Covid-19. This exempts them from the requirement to derive at least 50 per cent of their income from trading activity that they would otherwise need to meet to access the scheme. This provision will cease at the end of the year. All aspects of the Recovery Loan Scheme are under constant review to ensure that the scheme meets its policy objectives.

Recovery Loan Scheme: Charities

Craig Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to (a) extend the Government's Recovery Loan Scheme beyond December 2022 for charities, (b) keep the charity small trading exemption at 25% and (c) treat stable grant and donation income as trading income.

Dean Russell: Charities are currently able to access the Recovery Loan Scheme by self-certifying that they have been impacted by Covid-19. Otherwise, they must derive at least 50 per cent of their turnover from trading activity to access the scheme. All aspects of the Recovery Loan Scheme are under constant review to ensure that the scheme can meet its objectives.

Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when his Department will publish the impact assessment for the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill.

Dean Russell: The impact assessment for the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill is currently being scrutinised by the Regulatory Policy Committee (RPC). We are waiting for the RPC opinion before making it publicly available.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: EU Law

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many further pieces of retained EU law his Department plans to add to the retained EU law dashboard in its next update, broken down by Department.

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when his Department will update the retained EU law dashboard.

Dean Russell: Since the publication of the dashboard in June, the Government has continued to develop this authoritative catalog of where EU-derived legislation sits on the UK statute book. Subsequently, we anticipate over 100 additional pieces of legislation will be added to the REUL dashboard. Government officials are currently working to quality assure this data and any amendments to the data will be reflected in an update of the dashboard this Autumn.

Economic Advisory Council

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of the Economic Advisory Council on employment rights and protections.

Dean Russell: My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy meets regularly with my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer to discuss a wide range of policy issues. The Department welcomes the creation of the Economic Advisory Council, values the advice and expertise of the group, and looks forward to such expertise contributing to the Government’s prioritising of economic stability in a period of global economic challenge and volatility.

Energy: Price Caps

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to introduce a new price cap for dual fuel heated homes.

Graham Stuart: Dual fuel heated homes will benefit from the support offered through the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) which limits the price households pay per unit of gas and electricity they use, and the Energy Bills Support (EBSS) scheme which provides a £400 non-repayable government discount to help 29 million households with energy bills over the winter. No support beyond EPG and EBSS is planned for dual fuel heated homes.

Department of Health and Social Care

General Practitioners: Dulwich and West Norwood

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has provided additional (a) financial and (b) other support to help tackle (i) patient backlogs and (ii) increased workloads in GP surgeries in Dulwich and West Norwood constituency.

Will Quince: The ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’, published in February 2022, stated the ambition to reduce patient backlogs for planned National Health Service treatments and the Government plans to spend more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25. We made £520 million available to expand general practice capacity during the pandemic. This was in addition to at least £1.5 billion announced in 2020 by 2024 which includes supporting increased workloads in general practitioner (GP) surgeries, including in Dulwich and West Norwood. In September 2022, ‘Our plan for patients’ announced measures to support GP practices increase access and manage workloads, such as the provision of 31,000 phone lines and funding to expand the staff roles working in general practice, including in Dulwich and West Norwood.

General Practitioners: Vacancies

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to tackle GP shortages in deprived areas.

Will Quince: We launched the Targeted Enhanced Recruitment Scheme in 2016, which has attracted doctors to train in hard to recruit locations by providing a one-off financial incentive of £20,000. In 2021, there were 550 places were available and through additional investment, there are 800 places in 2022.

Diabetes: Plymouth Sutton and Devonport

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were diagnosed with diabetes in Plymouth Sutton and Devonport constituency in each of the last five years.

Will Quince: The following table shows the number of people diagnosed with diabetes in Plymouth Sutton and Devonport constituency in each year from 2016 to 2020, by diabetes type. Type 1Type 2 and other201625430201725400201820350201925535202020360 Source: National Diabetes Audit (NDA)Note:A person may have more than one diabetes diagnosis within the NDA. In this case, an algorithm is used to derive the best diagnosis date and diabetes type for each person.Disclosure control has been applied to all figures, as per the NDA publication – all numbers are rounded to the nearest 5, unless the number is 1 to 7, in which case it is rounded to ‘5’.Diabetes type is reported as ‘type 1’ and ‘type 2 and other’ within the NDA. ‘Type 1’ includes where a person is recorded as having type 1 diabetes in the NDA. ‘Type 2 and other’ includes where a person is recorded as having type 2 diabetes, Maturity-onset Diabetes of the Young, other or non-specified diabetes in the NDA.

Breast Cancer: Bury South

Christian Wakeford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, , what steps her Department is taking to help increase the uptake of breast cancer screening in Bury South constituency.

Will Quince: The Department is working with NHS England to finalise the delivery of £10 million for breast screening units, including determining which areas will benefit from this investment.National Health Service breast screening providers are also encouraged to work with Cancer Alliances, Primary Care Networks, NHS regional teams and the voluntary sector to promote the uptake of breast screening and ensure access to services.

General Practitioners: Plymouth Sutton and Devonport

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has provided additional (a) financial and (b) other support to help tackle (i) patient backlogs and (ii) increased workloads in GP surgeries in Plymouth Sutton and Devonport constituency.

Will Quince: The ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’, published in February 2022, stated the ambition to reduce patient backlogs for planned National Health Service treatments and the Government plans to spend more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25. We made £520 million available to expand general practice capacity during the pandemic. This was in addition to at least £1.5 billion announced in 2020 by 2024 which includes supporting increased workloads in general practitioner (GP) surgeries, including in Plymouth Sutton and Devonport. In September 2022, ‘Our plan for patients’ announced measures to support GP practices increase access and manage workloads, such as the provision of 31,000 phone lines and funding to expand the staff roles working in general practice, including in Plymouth Sutton and Devonport.

Dental Services: Bury South

Christian Wakeford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help improve access to NHS dental services in Bury South constituency.

Will Quince: In September, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care, including in Bury South.The plan includes improvements to ensure dentists are renumerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver National Health Service treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. The plan also includes streamlining processes for overseas dentists and holding the local NHS to account for dentistry provision. In addition, Health Education England is also reforming dental education to improve the recruitment and retention of dental professionals.

Dental Services: Dulwich and West Norwood

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help improve access to NHS dental services in Dulwich and West Norwood constituency.

Will Quince: In September, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care, including in Dulwich and West Norwood.The plan includes improvements to ensure dentists are renumerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver National Health Service treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. The plan also includes streamlining processes for overseas dentists and holding the local NHS to account for dentistry provision. In addition, Health Education England is also reforming dental education to improve the recruitment and retention of dental professionals.

General Practitioners: Weaver Vale

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of GP appointments in Weaver Vale constituency in the past 12 months and what the number was in 2013.

Will Quince: The information is not collected in the format requested. In the 12 months to August 2022, there were 14.5 million general practice appointments in the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care System area, excluding COVID-19 vaccinations.

Life Expectancy: Ealing North

James Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of trends in the level of healthy life expectancy in Ealing North constituency.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Bermondsey and Old Southwark

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if her Department will take steps to increase the availability of face-to-face GP appointments in Bermondsey and Old Southwark constituency.

Will Quince: On 22 September 2022, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which contains measures to assist people make an informed choice on their general practitioner (GP) practice, book an appointment more easily, benefit from more care options and increase the diversity of general practice teams. This aims to increase the availability of appointment types, such as face-to-face, in England, including in Bermondsey and Old Southwark.NHS England’s guidance states that GP practices must provide face to face appointments and remote consultations and should respect preferences for face-to-face care unless there are good clinical reasons to the contrary.  While remote consultations can provide additional choice, flexibility and convenience for patients, this is not suitable for all patients or in all circumstances.

Social Services: Ealing North

James Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of social care capacity in Ealing North constituency.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Ealing North

James Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of GP surgeries were rated as good by the Care Quality Commission in Ealing North constituency as of 18th October 2022.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Medical Treatments

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the remit of the RAPID C19 taskforce includes fast tracking the roll-out of approved covid-19 treatments.

Robert Jenrick: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Evusheld

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Minister of Health's oral contribution on 13 October 2022, Official Report, column 107WH, by what date he expects to complete the review of the (a) Francis Crick Institute study and (b) Lancet Journal article; and if he set out details of how that review will be conducted.

Robert Jenrick: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Blood: Donors

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many blood donation appointments have been cancelled due to staffing shortages in the NHS in each of the last 12 months.

Will Quince: NHS Blood and Transplant cancelled 137,136 donor appointments due to staffing shortages from 4 October 2021 to 2 October 2022. The following table shows the number of cancelled appointments in each month from October 2021 to September 2022.MonthAppointments cancelledOctober 20216,753November 20215,883December 20216,402January 20227,533February 20226,521March 20228,804April 20227,985May 202211,803June 202217,602July 202215,117August 202220,338September 202222,435Source: NHS Blood and Transplant, October 2022.

Evusheld

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the contribution by the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Social Care on 12 October to the Westminster Hall debate on the Procurement of Evusheld, Official Report, column 107WH, on what date she plans to announce the accelerated timetable for the NICE assessment of Evusheld.

Robert Jenrick: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Slough

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if her Department will take steps to increase the availability of face-to-face GP appointments in Slough constituency.

Will Quince: On 22 September 2022, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which contains measures to assist people make an informed choice on their general practitioner (GP) practice, book an appointment more easily, benefit from more care options and increase the diversity of general practice teams. This aims to increase the availability of appointment types, such as face-to-face, in England, including in Slough. NHS England’s guidance states that GP practices must provide face to face appointments and remote consultations and should respect preferences for face-to-face care unless there are good clinical reasons to the contrary.  While remote consultations can provide additional choice, flexibility and convenience for patients, this is not suitable for all patients or in all circumstances.

HIV Infection: Streatham

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were diagnosed with HIV in Streatham constituency in each of the last five years.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Liverpool Wavertree

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of GPs in Liverpool Wavertree constituency.

Will Quince: We are working with NHS England, Health Education England and the profession to increase the general practice workforce in England, including in Liverpool Wavertree. This includes measures to improve recruitment, address the reasons why doctors leave the profession and encourage them to return to practice.The updated GP Contract Framework announced a number of new schemes, alongside continued support for existing recruitment and retention schemes for the general practice workforce. This includes the GP Retention Scheme, the GP Retention Fund, the National GP Induction and Refresher, the Locum Support Scheme, the New to Partnership Payment and the Supporting Mentors Scheme.

Midwives: Streatham

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of midwives in Streatham constituency.

Robert Jenrick: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Streatham

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of GPs in Streatham constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Life Expectancy: Streatham

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of trends in the level of life expectancy in Streatham constituency.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Breast Cancer: Bradford East

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the uptake of breast cancer screening in Bradford East constituency.

Will Quince: The Department is working with NHS England to finalise the delivery of £10 million for breast screening units, including determining which areas will benefit from this investment.National Health Service breast screening providers are also encouraged to work with Cancer Alliances, Primary Care Networks, NHS regional teams and the voluntary sector to promote the uptake of breast screening and ensure access to services.

Dental Services: Sunderland Central

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help improve access to NHS dental services in Sunderland Central constituency.

Will Quince: In September, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care, including in Sunderland Central.The plan includes improvements to ensure dentists are renumerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver National Health Service treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. The plan also includes streamlining processes for overseas dentists and holding the local NHS to account for dentistry provision. In addition, Health Education England is also reforming dental education to improve the recruitment and retention of dental professionals.

Midwives

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate she has made of the number of (a) private and (b) NHS midwives working in each clinical commissioning group area in each of the last 5 years.

Robert Jenrick: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health Services: Females

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the funding required to progress the Women’s Health Strategy; and if her Department has had discussions with the Treasury on funding the Strategy.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health Services: Females

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Deputy Women’s Health Ambassador will be announced and what the timeline is for their appointment.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health Services: Females

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans her Department has to publish an annual report on their progress to deliver on the commitments outlined in the Women’s Health Strategy.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health Services: Females

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the delivery plan for the Women’s Health Strategy will be published.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Liverpool Wavertree

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if her department will take steps to increase the availability of face-to-face GP appointments in Liverpool Wavertree constituency.

Will Quince: On 22 September 2022, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which contains measures to assist people make an informed choice on their general practitioner (GP) practice, book an appointment more easily, benefit from more care options and increase the diversity of general practice teams. This aims to increase the availability of appointment types, such as face-to-face, in England, including in Liverpool Wavertree. NHS England’s guidance states that GP practices must provide face to face appointments and remote consultations and should respect preferences for face-to-face care unless there are good clinical reasons to the contrary.  While remote consultations can provide additional choice, flexibility and convenience for patients, this is not suitable for all patients or in all circumstances.

Protective Clothing: Storage

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the monthly cost to the public purse is for storing surplus personal protective equipment in (a) the UK and (b) China; and what proportion of that equipment has been deemed unusable in a healthcare setting.

Robert Jenrick: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Psilocybin

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will discuss the potential approval of psilocybin as a medicine with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

Robert Jenrick: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) financial and (b) other steps her Department is taking to help tackle NHS workforce shortages in (a) York and (b) York Central constituency.

Robert Jenrick: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of GP surgeries were rated as good by the Care Quality Commission in (a) York and (b) York Central Constituency as of 18 October 2022.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Care Homes: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of care homes were rated as good by the Care Quality Commission in (a) York and (b) York Central constituency as of 18 October 2022.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Perinatal Mortality: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of trends in rates of perinatal mortality in (a) York and (b) York Central constituency.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Plymouth Sutton and Devonport

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of GPs in Plymouth Sutton and Devonport constituency.

Will Quince: We are working with NHS England, Health Education England and the profession to increase the general practice workforce in England, including in Plymouth Sutton and Devonport. This includes measures to improve recruitment, address the reasons why doctors leave the profession and encourage them to return to practice.The updated GP Contract Framework announced a number of new schemes, alongside continued support for existing recruitment and retention schemes for the general practice workforce. This includes the GP Retention Scheme, the GP Retention Fund, the National GP Induction and Refresher, the Locum Support Scheme, the New to Partnership Payment and the Supporting Mentors Scheme.

Surgery: Lancaster and Fleetwood

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of cancelled operations in Lancaster and Fleetwood constituency in the last 12 months.

Robert Jenrick: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Stretford and Urmston

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if her Department will take steps to increase the availability of face-to-face GP appointments in Stretford and Urmston constituency.

Will Quince: On 22 September 2022, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which contains measures to assist people make an informed choice on their general practitioner (GP) practice, book an appointment more easily, benefit from more care options and increase the diversity of general practice teams. This aims to increase the availability of appointment types, such as face-to-face, in England, including in Stretford and Urmston.NHS England’s guidance states that GP practices must provide face to face appointments and remote consultations and should respect preferences for face-to-face care unless there are good clinical reasons to the contrary.  While remote consultations can provide additional choice, flexibility and convenience for patients, this is not suitable for all patients or in all circumstances.

General Practitioners: Lancaster and Fleetwood

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of FTE Fully qualified GPs excluding GPs in Training Grade practicing in Lancaster and Fleetwood constituency (a) on 18 October 2022 and (b) in 2013.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Lancaster and Fleetwood

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of GP practices open in Lancaster and Fleetwood constituency (a) as of 18 October 2022 and (b) in 2013.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Dulwich and West Norwood

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has provided additional (a) financial and (b) other support to help tackle (i) patient backlogs and (ii) increased workloads in GP surgeries in Dulwich and West Norwood constituency.

Will Quince: The ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’, published in February 2022, stated the ambition to reduce patient backlogs for planned National Health Service treatments and the Government plans to spend more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25. We made £520 million available to expand general practice capacity during the pandemic. This was in addition to at least £1.5 billion announced in 2020 by 2024 which includes supporting increased workloads in general practitioner (GP) surgeries, including in Dulwich and West Norwood. In September 2022, ‘Our plan for patients’ announced measures to support GP practices increase access and manage workloads, such as the provision of 31,000 phone lines and funding to expand the staff roles working in general practice, including in Dulwich and West Norwood.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the regulatory approval of covid-19 vaccine Nuvaxovid, what plans she has for the usage of this vaccine as (a) a covid-19 booster vaccination or (b) other uses.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS: ICT

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 21 April 2022 to Question 151099 on Health Services: ICT, which providers of digital services used by NHS organisations to deliver patient-facing services are Digital Technology Assessment Criteria (DTAC) compliant.

Robert Jenrick: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Midwives: Wirral South

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of midwives in Wirral South constituency.

Robert Jenrick: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Mental Health Services: Wirral South

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of mental health specialists in Wirral South constituency.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Wirral South

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of GPs in Wirral South constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Life Expectancy: Wirral South

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of trends in the level of life expectancy in Wirral South constituency.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Perinatal Mortality: Wirral South

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of trends in rates of perinatal mortality in Wirral South constituency.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Bradford East

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has provided additional (a) financial and (b) other support to help tackle (i) patient backlogs and (ii) increased workloads in GP surgeries in Bradford East constituency.

Will Quince: The ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’, published in February 2022, stated the ambition to reduce patient backlogs for planned National Health Service treatments and the Government plans to spend more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25. We made £520 million available to expand general practice capacity during the pandemic. This was in addition to at least £1.5 billion announced in 2020 by 2024 which includes supporting increased workloads in general practitioner (GP) surgeries, including in Bradford East. In September 2022, ‘Our plan for patients’ announced measures to support GP practices increase access and manage workloads, such as the provision of 31,000 phone lines and funding to expand the staff roles working in general practice, including in Bradford East.

Mental Health Services: Nottingham South

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of mental health specialists in Nottingham South constituency.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Life Expectancy: Nottingham South

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of trends in the level of life expectancy in Nottingham South constituency.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Washington and Sunderland West

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has provided additional (a) financial and (b) other support to help tackle (i) patient backlogs and (ii) increased workloads in GP surgeries in Washington and Sunderland West constituency.

Will Quince: The ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’, published in February 2022, stated the ambition to reduce patient backlogs for planned National Health Service treatments and the Government plans to spend more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25. We made £520 million available to expand general practice capacity during the pandemic. This was in addition to at least £1.5 billion announced in 2020 by 2024 which includes supporting increased workloads in general practitioner (GP) surgeries, including in Washington and Sunderland West. In September 2022, ‘Our plan for patients’ announced measures to support GP practices increase access and manage workloads, such as the provision of 31,000 phone lines and funding to expand the staff roles working in general practice, including in Washington and Sunderland West.

Perinatal Mortality: Nottingham South

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of trends in rates of perinatal mortality in Nottingham South constituency.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Surgery: Chesterfield

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of cancelled operations in Chesterfield constituency in the last 12 months.

Robert Jenrick: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Care Homes: Worsley and Eccles South

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of care homes were rated as good by the Care Quality Commission in Worsley and Eccles South constituency as of 13 October 2022.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Washington and Sunderland West

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of GPs in Washington and Sunderland West constituency.

Will Quince: We are working with NHS England, Health Education England and the profession to increase the general practice workforce in England, including in Washington and Sunderland West. This includes measures to improve recruitment, address the reasons why doctors leave the profession and encourage them to return to practice.The updated GP Contract Framework announced a number of new schemes, alongside continued support for existing recruitment and retention schemes for the general practice workforce. This includes the GP Retention Scheme, the GP Retention Fund, the National GP Induction and Refresher, the Locum Support Scheme, the New to Partnership Payment and the Supporting Mentors Scheme.

NHS: Worsley and Eccles South

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) financial and (b) other steps her Department is taking to help tackle NHS workforce shortages in Worsley and Eccles South constituency.

Robert Jenrick: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Perinatal Mortality: Worsley and Eccles South

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of trends in rates of perinatal mortality in Worsley and Eccles South constituency.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Care homes: Costs

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what financial support will be available to pensioners living in care homes in the event that the cost of care home accommodation rises in response to increases to the cost of living.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Liverpool Wavertree

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of GP surgeries were rated as good by the Care Quality Commission in Liverpool Wavertree constituency as of March 2020.

Will Quince: As at 2 March 2020, 16 or 84.2% of general practitioner practices in the Liverpool Wavertree constituency were rated by the Care Quality Commission as ‘good’ overall.

General Practitioners: Hornsey and Wood Green

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has provided additional (a) financial and (b) other support to help tackle (i) patient backlogs and (ii) increased workloads in GP surgeries in Hornsey and Wood Green constituency.

Will Quince: The ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’, published in February 2022, stated the ambition to reduce patient backlogs for planned National Health Service treatments and the Government plans to spend more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25. We made £520 million available to expand general practice capacity during the pandemic. This was in addition to at least £1.5 billion announced in 2020 by 2024 which includes supporting increased workloads in general practitioner (GP) surgeries, including in Hornsey and Wood Green. In September 2022, ‘Our plan for patients’ announced measures to support GP practices increase access and manage workloads, such as the provision of 31,000 phone lines and funding to expand the staff roles working in general practice, including in Hornsey and Wood Green.

Diabetes: Exeter

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were diagnosed with diabetes in Exeter constituency in each of the last five years.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Midwives: Exeter

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of midwives in Exeter constituency.

Robert Jenrick: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Dental Services: Washington and Sunderland West

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help improve access to NHS dental services in Washington and Sunderland West constituency.

Will Quince: In September, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care, including in Washington and Sunderland West.The plan includes improvements to ensure dentists are renumerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver National Health Service treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. The plan also includes streamlining processes for overseas dentists and holding the local NHS to account for dentistry provision. In addition, Health Education England is also reforming dental education to improve the recruitment and retention of dental professionals.

Mental Health Services: Exeter

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of mental health specialists in Exeter constituency.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Exeter

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of GPs in Exeter constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Life Expectancy: Exeter

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of trends in the level of life expectancy in Exeter constituency.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Bermondsey and Old Southwark

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has provided additional (a) financial and (b) other support to help tackle (i) patient backlogs and (ii) increased workloads in GP surgeries in Bermondsey and Old Southwark constituency.

Will Quince: The ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’, published in February 2022, stated the ambition to reduce patient backlogs for planned National Health Service treatments and the Government plans to spend more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25. We made £520 million available to expand general practice capacity during the pandemic. This was in addition to at least £1.5 billion announced in 2020 by 2024 which includes supporting increased workloads in general practitioner (GP) surgeries, including in Bermondsey and Old Southwark. In September 2022, ‘Our plan for patients’ announced measures to support GP practices increase access and manage workloads, such as the provision of 31,000 phone lines and funding to expand the staff roles working in general practice, including in Bermondsey and Old Southwark.

General Practitioners: Ealing North

James Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of FTE Fully qualified GPs excluding GPs in Training Grade practicing in Ealing North constituency (a) on 18 October 2022 and (b) in 2013.

Will Quince: This information is not collected in the format requested.

Breast Cancer: Health Services

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department is meetings its two-week wait target for breast cancer referrals.

Will Quince: The cancer waiting times statistics published by NHS England for August 2022 show that 76.43% of urgent general practitioner referrals for suspected breast cancer meet the current two-week wait target, against an operational standard of 93%.

General Practitioners: Nottingham South

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of GPs in Nottingham South constituency.

Will Quince: We are working with NHS England, Health Education England and the profession to increase the general practice workforce in England, including in Nottingham South. This includes measures to improve recruitment, address the reasons why doctors leave the profession and encourage them to return to practice.The updated GP Contract Framework announced a number of new schemes, alongside continued support for existing recruitment and retention schemes for the general practice workforce. This includes the GP Retention Scheme, the GP Retention Fund, the National GP Induction and Refresher, the Locum Support Scheme, the New to Partnership Payment and the Supporting Mentors Scheme.

General Practitioners: Lancashire

Kate Hollern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many GP Speciality Trainees have been recruited in East Lancashire as part of Targeted Enhanced Recruitment Scheme 2021-2022 and what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the numbers recruited to that scheme to meet local demand.

Will Quince: No trainees were recruited as part of the Targeted Enhanced Recruitment Scheme in 2021/2022 in East Lancashire. In the 2022/2023 scheme, 38 training places have been offered in East Lancashire.

General Practitioners: Worsley and Eccles South

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of GP surgeries were rated as good by the Care Quality Commission in Worsley and Eccles South constituency as of 13 October 2022.

Will Quince: As of 13 October, there are 13 or 81.3% of general practitioner practice locations in the Worsley and Eccles South constituency rated by the Care Quality Commission as ‘good’ overall.

Diabetes: Streatham

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were diagnosed with diabetes in Streatham constituency in each of the last five years.

Will Quince: The following table shows the number of people diagnosed with diabetes in Streatham constituency in each year from 2016 to 2020, by diabetes type. Type 1Type 2 and other201620510201720370201820495201920345202015315 Source: National Diabetes Audit (NDA)Note:A person may have more than one diabetes diagnosis within the NDA. In this case, an algorithm is used to derive the best diagnosis date and diabetes type for each person.Disclosure control has been applied to all figures, as per the NDA publication – all numbers are rounded to the nearest 5, unless the number is 1 to 7, in which case it is rounded to ‘5’.Diabetes type is reported as ‘type 1’ and ‘type 2 and other’ within the NDA. ‘Type 1’ includes where a person is recorded as having type 1 diabetes in the NDA. ‘Type 2 and other’ includes where a person is recorded as having type 2 diabetes, Maturity-onset Diabetes of the Young, other or non-specified diabetes in the NDA.

Eating Disorders: Birmingham Yardley

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support young people with eating disorders in Birmingham Yardley constituency.

Dr Caroline Johnson: In September we announced ‘Our Plan for Patients’, which outlines how we will increase access to National Health Service mental health and eating disorder services, including in Birmingham Yardley. Making it easier to access general practice through our ABCD priorities will expand this route as a gateway to mental health care. Through the NHS Long Term Plan, we are investing an additional £2.3 billion a year by 2023/24 to expand these services for adults, children and young people in England, including in Walsall South.We will invest approximately £1 billion in community mental health care for adults with severe mental illness, including eating disorders, by 2023/24 and an additional £53 million per year in children and young people's community eating disorder services to increase capacity in the 70 community eating disorder teams.

Mental Health Services: Birmingham Yardley

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care,  what steps her Department is taking to help improve access to mental health services in Birmingham Yardley constituency.

Dr Caroline Johnson: In September we announced ‘Our Plan for Patients’, which outlines how we will increase access to National Health Service mental health and eating disorder services, including in Birmingham Yardley. Making it easier to access general practice through our ABCD priorities will expand this route as a gateway to mental health care.Through the NHS Long Term Plan, we are investing an additional £2.3 billion a year by 2023/24 to expand these services for adults, children and young people in England, including in Walsall South.We will invest approximately £1 billion in community mental health care for adults with severe mental illness, including eating disorders, by 2023/24 and an additional £53 million per year in children and young people's community eating disorder services to increase capacity in the 70 community eating disorder teams.

General Practitioners: Ealing North

James Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of GP appointments in Ealing North constituency in (a) the last 12 months and (b) 2013.

Will Quince: This information is not collected in the format requested. In the 12 months to August 2022, there were 13.4 million general practice appointments in the North West London Integrated Care System area, excluding COVID-19 vaccinations.

Breast Cancer: Ilford North

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the uptake of breast cancer screening in Ilford North constituency.

Will Quince: The Department is working with NHS England to finalise the delivery of £10 million for breast screening units, including determining which areas will benefit from this investment.National Health Service breast screening providers are also encouraged to work with Cancer Alliances, Primary Care Networks, NHS regional teams and the voluntary sector to promote the uptake of breast screening and ensure access to services.

Dental Services: Bolton South East

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help improve access to NHS dental services in Bolton South East constituency.

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the NHS dentist provision in Bolton South East constituency.

Will Quince: No specific assessment has been made. In September, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care, including in Bolton South East.The plan includes improvements to ensure dentists are renumerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver National Health Service treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. The plan also includes streamlining processes for overseas dentists and holding the local NHS to account for dentistry provision. In addition, Health Education England is also reforming dental education to improve the recruitment and retention of dental professionals.

Dental Services: Warrington North

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help improve access to NHS dental services in Warrington North constituency.

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the NHS dental provision in Warrington North constituency.

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of dental practices were rated as good by the Care and Quality Commission in Warrington North constituency as of 1 October 2022.

Will Quince: No specific assessment has been made. In September, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care, including in Warrington North.The plan includes improvements to ensure dentists are renumerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver National Health Service treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. The plan also includes streamlining processes for overseas dentists and holding the local NHS to account for dentistry provision. In addition, Health Education England is also reforming dental education to improve the recruitment and retention of dental professionals.The Care Quality Commission (CQC) does not currently rate providers of primary dental care services. The CQC publishes an assessment against five ‘key aspects’ that determine whether a dental provider is meeting its regulatory requirements. These are:- Treating people with respect and involving them in their care;- Providing care, treatment and support that meets people's needs;- Caring for people safely and protecting them from harm;- Staffing; and- Quality and suitability of management.The CQC provides information for the public to find local dentists and profiles, which display regulatory performance and inspection reports.

Dental Services: Bermondsey and Old Southwark

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children under the age of (a) four and (b) 11 were admitted to hospital for a tooth extraction due to decay in Bermondsey and Old Southwark constituency in each of the last five years.

Will Quince: This information is not held in the format requested.

Dental Services: Exeter

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of dental practices were rated as good by the Care Quality Commission in Exeter constituency as of 14 October 2022.

Will Quince: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) does not currently rate providers of primary dental care services.  The CQC publishes an assessment against five ‘key aspects’ that determine whether a dental provider is meeting its regulatory requirements. These are: - Treating people with respect and involving them in their care;- Providing care, treatment and support that meets people's needs;- Caring for people safely and protecting them from harm;- Staffing; and- Quality and suitability of management. The CQC provides information for the public to find local dentists and profiles, which display the regulatory performance and inspection reports.

Dental Services: Dulwich and West Norwood

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the NHS dentist provision in Dulwich and West Norwood constituency.

Will Quince: No specific assessment has been made. In September, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care, including in Dulwich and West Norwood.The plan includes improvements to ensure dentists are renumerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver National Health Service treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. The plan also includes streamlining processes for overseas dentists and holding the local NHS to account for dentistry provision. In addition, Health Education England is also reforming dental education to improve the recruitment and retention of dental professionals.

General Practitioners: Lancaster and Fleetwood

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of GP appointments in Lancaster and Fleetwood constituency in (a) the last 12 months and (b) 2013.

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the proportion of GP appointments in Lancaster and Fleetwood constituency conducted face-to-face in (a) the last 12 months and (b) 2013.

Will Quince: This information is not collected in the format requested. However, in the 12 months to August 2022, there were 9.6 million general practice appointments in the NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care System area, excluding COVID-19 vaccinations. Of these, 64.4% were conducted face-to-face.

General Practitioners: Barking

Dame Margaret Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has provided additional (a) financial and (b) other support to help tackle (i) patient backlogs and (ii) increased workloads in GP surgeries in Barking constituency.

Will Quince: The ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’, published in February 2022, stated the ambition to reduce patient backlogs for planned National Health Service treatments and the Government plans to spend more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25. We made £520 million available to expand general practice capacity during the pandemic. This was in addition to at least £1.5 billion announced in 2020 by 2024 which includes supporting increased workloads in general practitioner (GP) surgeries, including in Barking. In September 2022, ‘Our plan for patients’ announced measures to support GP practices increase access and manage workloads, such as the provision of 31,000 phone lines and funding to expand the staff roles working in general practice, including in Barking.

General Practitioners: Barking

Dame Margaret Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of GP practices open in Barking constituency (a) on 12 October 2022 and (b) what the number was in 2013.

Will Quince: There are 22 practices registered in Barking in October 2022, with 27 practices registered in September 2013.Practices close for a variety of reasons, including practice mergers or retirement. A reduction in practice numbers does not mean a reduction in the quality of care. When a practice does close, patients are informed and advised to register at another local practice of their choice. Practices and commissioners must put in place appropriate measures to ensure that the affected patients have access to general practitioner services.

Dental Services: Washington and Sunderland West

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the NHS dentist provision in Washington and Sunderland West constituency.

Will Quince: No specific assessment has been made. In September, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care, including in Washington and Sunderland West.The plan includes improvements to ensure dentists are renumerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver National Health Service treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. The plan also includes streamlining processes for overseas dentists and holding the local NHS to account for dentistry provision. In addition, Health Education England is also reforming dental education to improve the recruitment and retention of dental professionals.

General Practitioners: Plymouth Sutton and Devonport

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of FTE Fully qualified GPs excluding GPs in Training Grade practicing in Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport constituency (a) as of 13 October 2022 and (b) in 2013.

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of FTE Fully qualified GPs excluding GPs in Training Grade practicing in Plymouth Sutton and Devonport constituency (a) on 13 October 2022 and (b) in 2013.

Will Quince: This information is not collected in the format requested.

General Practitioners: Chesterfield

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of GP appointments in Chesterfield constituency (a) in the last 12 months and (b) in 2013.

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the proportion of GP appointments in Chesterfield constituency conducted face-to-face in (a) the last 12 months and (b) 2013.

Will Quince: This information is not collected in the format requested. However, in the 12 months to August 2022, there were 6.54 million general practice appointments in the NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care System area, excluding COVID-19 vaccinations. Of these, 65.7% were conducted face-to-face.

General Practitioners: Dulwich and West Norwood

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if her Department will take steps to increase the availability of face-to-face GP appointments in Dulwich and West Norwood constituency.

Will Quince: On 22 September 2022, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which contains measures to assist people make an informed choice on their general practitioner (GP) practice, book an appointment more easily, benefit from more care options and increase the diversity of general practice teams. This aims to increase the availability of appointment types, such as face-to-face, in England, including in Dulwich and West Norwood. NHS England’s guidance states that GP practices must provide face to face appointments and remote consultations and should respect preferences for face-to-face care unless there are good clinical reasons to the contrary.  While remote consultations can provide additional choice, flexibility and convenience for patients, this is not suitable for all patients or in all circumstances.

General Practitioners: Barking

Dame Margaret Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to reduce GP waiting times in Barking constituency.

Dame Margaret Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if her Department will take steps to increase the availability of face-to-face GP appointments in Barking and Dagenham.

Dame Margaret Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the proportion of GP appointments in Barking and Dagenham conducted face-to-face (a) in the past 12 months and (b) what the figure was in 2013.

Will Quince: On 22 September 2022, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which contains measures to assist people make an informed choice on their general practitioner (GP) practice, book an appointment more easily, benefit from more care options and increase the diversity of general practice teams. This aims to increase the availability of appointment types, such as face-to-face, in England, including in Barking and Dagenham. We expect that patients who need an appointment with their GP practice within two weeks should get one and that patients with urgent needs should be seen on the same day. NHS England’s guidance states that GP practices must provide face to face appointments and remote consultations and should respect preferences for face-to-face care unless there are good clinical reasons to the contrary.  While remote consultations can provide additional choice, flexibility and convenience for patients, this is not suitable for all patients or in all circumstances.In the 12 months to August 2022, 59.1% of general practice appointments were conducted face-to-face in the North East London Integrated Care System area, excluding COVID-19 vaccinations.

General Practitioners: Plymouth Sutton and Devonport

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of GP practices currently open in Plymouth Sutton and Devonport constituency; and what that number was in 2013.

Will Quince: There were 22 practices registered in Plymouth Sutton and Devonport in September 2013, with 11 practices registered in October 2022.Practices close for a variety of reasons, including practice mergers or retirement. A reduction in practice numbers does not mean a reduction in the quality of care. When a practice does close, patients are informed and advised to register at another local practice of their choice. Practices and commissioners must put in place appropriate measures to ensure that the affected patients have access to general practitioner services.

Dental Services: Lewisham East

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help improve access to NHS dental services in Lewisham East constituency.

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the NHS dentist provision in Lewisham East constituency.

Will Quince: No specific assessment has been made. In September, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care, including in Lewisham East.The plan includes improvements to ensure dentists are renumerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver National Health Service treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. The plan also includes streamlining processes for overseas dentists and holding the local NHS to account for dentistry provision. In addition, Health Education England is also reforming dental education to improve the recruitment and retention of dental professionals.

Dental Services: Bradford East

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help improve access to NHS dental services in Bradford East constituency.

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the NHS dentist provision in Bradford East constituency.

Will Quince: No specific assessment has been made. In September, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care, including in Bradford East.The plan includes improvements to ensure dentists are renumerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver National Health Service treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. The plan also includes streamlining processes for overseas dentists and holding the local NHS to account for dentistry provision. In addition, Health Education England is also reforming dental education to improve the recruitment and retention of dental professionals.

Dental Services: Liverpool Wavertree

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help improve access to NHS dental services in Liverpool Wavertree.

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the NHS dentist provision in Liverpool Wavertree.

Will Quince: No specific assessment has been made. In September, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care, including in Liverpool Wavertree.The plan includes improvements to ensure dentists are renumerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver National Health Service treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. The plan also includes streamlining processes for overseas dentists and holding the local NHS to account for dentistry provision. In addition, Health Education England is also reforming dental education to improve the recruitment and retention of dental professionals.

Dental Services: Worsley and Eccles South

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of dental practices were rated as good by the Care Quality Commission in Worsley and Eccles South constituency as of 13 October 2022.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of dental practices were rated as good by the Care Quality Commission in (a) York and (b) York Central constituency as of 18 October 2022.

Will Quince: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) does not currently rate providers of primary dental care services.  The CQC publishes an assessment against five ‘key aspects’ which determine whether a dental provider is meeting its regulatory requirements. These are:- Treating people with respect and involving them in their care;- Providing care, treatment and support that meets people's needs;- Caring for people safely and protecting them from harm;- Staffing; and- Quality and suitability of management.The CQC provides information for the public to find local dentists and profiles, which display the regulatory performance and inspection reports.

General Practitioners: Recruitment

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans her Department has to increase funding for Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme to help primary care networks employ the 1,000 additional GP assistants set out in the Government's Plan for Patients.

Will Quince: General practice assistants (GPAs) were included in the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) in October 2022. Through the scheme, Primary Care Networks (PCNs) are able to claim reimbursement for the salaries and some on-costs of a set of defined roles detailed in the Network Contract Direct Enhanced Service.Each PCN is entitled to a share of the total national budget, based on the size and needs of its population. The PCN chooses which roles to recruit within these budgets to meet the needs of their patients and constituent practices. The Scheme is kept under continuous review with stakeholders. The introduction of new roles such as the GPA provides PCNs and commissioners with more choice, flexibility and opportunity to utilise their ARRS funding entitlements, increasing the number of patient-facing staff in local general practice teams.The national budget for ARRS is approximately £1 billion and is expected to rise to more than £1.4 billion in 2023/24. Intelligence gathered on planned recruitment by PCNs and the expenditure of allocations indicates there is sufficient resource to meet expected demand for GPAs.

Blood: Donors

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department plans to take to help ensure that there are sufficient supplies of blood for use in transfusions and operations.

Will Quince: The Department is working with NHS Blood and Transplant and NHS England to understand the causes of the blood stock shortages and the mitigations being implemented to rebuild stock levels.NHS Blood and Transplant is deploying measures to increase capacity to collect more blood, ensure blood remains available for emergencies and urgent surgeries in the immediate terms and increase future resilience to similar or new challenges, including staff absences. These include fast-track training for new staff, use of agency staff to support frontline donation centres in the short term and plasma collection capacity has been converted to use for blood collections. NHS Blood and Transplant is encouraging existing O negative and O positive donors to book an appointment to donate.

General Practitioners: Bristol East

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has provided additional (a) financial and (b) other support to help tackle (i) patient backlogs and (ii) increased workloads in GP surgeries in Bristol East constituency.

Will Quince: The ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’, published in February 2022, stated the ambition to reduce patient backlogs for planned National Health Service treatments and the Government plans to spend more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25. We made £520 million available to expand general practice capacity during the pandemic. This was in addition to at least £1.5 billion announced in 2020 by 2024 which includes supporting increased workloads in general practitioner (GP) surgeries, including in Bristol East. In September 2022, ‘Our plan for patients’ announced measures to support GP practices increase access and manage workloads, such as the provision of 31,000 phone lines and funding to expand the staff roles working in general practice, including in Bristol East.

Dental Services: Sunderland Central

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the NHS dentist provision in Sunderland Central constituency.

Will Quince: No specific assessment has been made. In September, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care, including in Sunderland Central.The plan includes improvements to ensure dentists are renumerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver National Health Service treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. The plan also includes streamlining processes for overseas dentists and holding the local NHS to account for dentistry provision. In addition, Health Education England is also reforming dental education to improve the recruitment and retention of dental professionals.

Dental Services: Contracts

Cherilyn Mackrory: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress she has made on the review of NHS dental contracts.

Will Quince: The Department worked with NHS England and negotiated with the British Dental Association on improvements to the National Health Service dental system which was announced on 19 July 2022. These improvements are supported by the sector and will improve access, target care for patients with higher oral health needs and ensure that dentists are more fairly rewarded for delivering NHS care, making NHS dentistry a more attractive place to work for dentists and their teams.It also includes improving the 2006 contract to ensure better remuneration for practices for providing complex treatment to patients, issuing guidance on how often patients should expect to attend for check-ups and enabling dentists to make better use of staff in dental teams to deliver NHS treatment. This will also enable greater flexibility for NHS commissioners in commissioning dentists to deliver more treatment where needed and make it a requirement for dentists to update practice information on NHS.UK. We have commenced the next phase of reforms which will focus on urgent care, funding models and terms and conditions.

Dental Services: Stockton North

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the NHS dentist provision in Stockton North constituency.

Will Quince: No specific assessment has been made. In September, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care, including in Stockton North.The plan includes improvements to ensure dentists are renumerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver National Health Service treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. The plan also includes streamlining processes for overseas dentists and holding the local NHS to account for dentistry provision. In addition, Health Education England is also reforming dental education to improve the recruitment and retention of dental professionals.

General Practitioners: Canterbury

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of GP appointments in Canterbury constituency in the past 12 months and what the number was in 2013.

Will Quince: This information is not collected in the format requested, However, in the 12 months to August 2022, there were 10.2 million general practice appointments in the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board area, excluding COVID-19 vaccinations.

Dental Services: County Durham

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her department are taking to increase the number of dentists accepting NHS Patients in County Durham.

Will Quince: In September, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care, including in County Durham.The plan includes improvements to ensure dentists are renumerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver National Health Service treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. The plan also includes streamlining processes for overseas dentists and holding the local NHS to account for dentistry provision. In addition, Health Education England is also reforming dental education to improve the recruitment and retention of dental professionals.

Dental Services: Easington

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of NHS dentist provision in Easington constituency.

Will Quince: No specific assessment has been made. In September, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care, including in Easington.The plan includes improvements to ensure dentists are renumerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver National Health Service treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. The plan also includes streamlining processes for overseas dentists and holding the local NHS to account for dentistry provision. In addition, Health Education England is also reforming dental education to improve the recruitment and retention of dental professionals.

NHS: Dental Services

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) dentists left NHS dental practices in the South West and (b) how many of those vacancies were filled through recruitment of new staff in each year since 2010.

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many dentists left NHS dental practices in the South West; and what proportion of those vacancies were filled through recruitment of new staff in each years since 2010.

Will Quince: Data on vacancies filled through recruitment is not held centrally, as practices manage staffing requirements to meet National Health Service dental contracts. This may include moving dentists between NHS and other work throughout and between years.Data on dentists who commenced and ceased delivering NHS provision in the South West from 2010/11 to 2011/12 and 2012/13 to 2021/22 is shown in the attached tables.Attachment (xlsx, 131.4KB)Attachment (xlsx, 88.2KB)

Dental Services: Wirral South

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help improve access to NHS dental services in Wirral South constituency.

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the NHS dentist provision in Wirral South constituency.

Will Quince: No specific assessment has been made. However, NHS England asked dental practices to return to full delivery of contracted activity from July 2022, including in Wirral South. In September, we announced ‘Our plan for patients’, which outlines how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care, including in Wirral South.The plan includes improvements to ensure dentists are renumerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver National Health Service treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. The plan also includes streamlining processes for overseas dentists and holding the local NHS to account for dentistry provision. In addition, Health Education England is also reforming dental education to improve the recruitment and retention of dental professionals.

Wales Office

Local Growth Deals: North Wales

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the North Wales growth deal for universities in that region.

David T C Davies: The UK Government is investing £790 million in city and growth deals across Wales, including £120 million in the North Wales Growth Deal.The six local authorities in North Wales are driving forward the Deal and collaborating with the region’s universities and higher education institutions to develop research and innovation projects which increase growth, deliver jobs and build a skilled workforce for the future.Bangor University recently received £3m in Growth Deal funding for its Digital Signalling Processing Centre. This exciting project will improve the handling and transmission of data, and is putting North Wales at the forefront of this emerging sector. Growth Deal partners are also considering two other potential projects at the University; a low-carbon centre of excellence and a centre for environmental biotechnology.The Growth Deal is also working with Wrexham Glyndwr University to develop an enterprise engineering optic centre, focusing on reducing the use of carbon in manufacturing.

Department for Education

Free School Meals

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will take steps to review the eligibility criteria for free school meals before the beginning of the next school year.

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of children living in poverty who are not eligible for free school meals.

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to provide all children living in poverty with free school meals.

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of the cost of living crisis on the number of children living in poverty who are not eligible for free school meals.

Kelly Tolhurst: The department does not have plans to assess the potential impact of changes in the cost of living on pupils who are not eligible for free school meals (FSM), nor to make any changes to FSM eligibility. However, we continue to monitor the rising cost of living whilst working with other government departments on support surrounding this issue. The department will continue to keep FSM eligibility under review to ensure that these meals are supporting those who most need them. In setting a threshold, the government believes that the current level, which enables children to benefit from FSM, while remaining affordable and deliverable for schools, is the right one.The latest published statistics show that around 1.9 million pupils are claiming FSM. This equates to 22.5% of all pupils, up from 20.8% in 2021. Together with a further 1.25 million infants supported through the Universal Infant Free School Meal policy, 37.5% of pupils are now provided with FSM.

Oak National Academy: Competition

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has (a) sought or (b) received advice from the Competition and Markets Authority on Oak National Academy since it was brought into the public sector.

Kelly Tolhurst: The department has not discussed Oak National Academy with the Competition and Markets Authority since Oak became a non-departmental public body on 1 September 2022.

Free School Meals

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to analysis by Child Poverty Action Group and its finding that 800,000 children in poverty do not qualify for free school meals, published on 9 June 2022, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of this analysis.

Kelly Tolhurst: The department does not have plans to make changes to Free School Meal (FSM) eligibility. However, we continue to monitor the rising cost of living whilst working with other government departments on support surrounding this issue. The department will continue to keep FSM eligibility under review to ensure that these meals are supporting those who most need them.In setting a threshold, the government believes that the current level, which enables children to benefit from FSM, while remaining affordable and deliverable for schools, is the right one.The latest published statistics show that around 1.9 million pupils are claiming FSM. This equates to 22.5% of all pupils, up from 20.8% in 2021. Together with a further 1.25 million infants supported through the Universal Infant Free School Meal policy, the greatest ever proportion of school children, 37.5%, are now provided with FSM.

Social Work England

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Government's proposals to reduce the number of government agencies, what discussions he has had with (a) HM Treasury and (b) Social Work England on that body's future (i) operation and (ii) budget; and if he will make a statement.

Kelly Tolhurst: Social Work England’s budget has been set in discussion with HM Treasury as part of the department’s Spending Review settlement for the three-year period 2022/23 to 2024/25.

Children: Care Homes

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much of the £259 million announced for children's homes in the Autumn 2021 Spending Review has been released to local authorities; and if he will publish a list of those authorities with the allocation of funds provided to each.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021 (SR21) announced £259 million of funding over the SR21 period to maintain capacity and expand provision in secure and open residential children’s homes.Following this, the department launched two waves of bidding rounds for local authorities to submit applications for this funding for both open and secure children’s homes. The department has allocated £112 million of this funding to local authorities throughout England and are working with them to deliver projects by March 2025. Of this, £17 million has been allocated to open children home projects and £95 million to secure children’s home projects, including plans to build two new secure children’s homes in London and the West Midlands. The remaining funding will be allocated to open and secure children’s homes projects this financial year. The department will share final award details when plans for this have been agreed and successful local authorities have been notified.

Pearson Education: Contracts

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the total amount of money paid from the public purse to Pearson each year in England for the examination and award of accredited qualifications.

Kelly Tolhurst: The department approves qualifications for funding. This includes a range of Pearson qualifications. Education and training providers receive funding from the department to deliver qualifications from this approved list. They decide which of the qualifications on the list they wish to deliver and enter arrangements with individual awarding organisations, including Pearson. This includes payment of fees.The department does not fund awarding organisations directly for the provision and awarding of qualifications. The department did, exceptionally during the COVID-19 pandemic, provide some direct funding to awarding organisations to support them with appeals costs and any autumn series losses they made in relation to 2021 qualifications. This enabled awarding organisations to increase rebates to schools and colleges.The department does not have access to, nor collect information on how much income Pearson receive from education and training providers who deliver their qualifications. Pearson offer a range of qualifications and operate a range of fee structures depending on the nature of the qualification and their arrangements with individual centres. It is therefore not possible to estimate the total amount of money paid from the public purse to Pearson each year.

Assessments and Qualifications: Cost Effectiveness

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the value for money achieved by the provision by private companies of examinations and awards of accredited qualifications in England; and if he will make a statement.

Kelly Tolhurst: There are approximately 127 awarding organisations recognised and regulated by Ofqual, the independent regulator of qualifications, examinations, and assessment in England, who have qualifications approved for public funding. These organisations include registered charities, such as the Prince’s Trust, professional or chartered bodies, such as the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, and both public limited companies, such as Pearson Education, who provide BTEC qualifications and private limited companies, such as Highfield Group, who provide a range of security industry qualifications.Where these awarding organisations have qualifications approved for funding, the income they generate is via the education and training provider who chooses to deliver their qualifications. Awarding organisations are required by Ofqual to make their fees available annually.As the awarding organisations are independent organisations, the department does not have access to information which would allow it to currently assess the value for money of the delivery of qualifications by the awarding organisations.

Schools: Brentford and Isleworth

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 27 September 2022 to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Brentford and Isleworth constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 28 September 2022 to Question 51633 on solar power, how many school buildings in Brentford and Isleworth constituency were inspected as part of the Condition Data Programme survey.

Jonathan Gullis: The Department is preparing detailed analysis of the data collected for the Condition Data Collection (CDC) programme and plan to publish the details by the end of the year.The key, high-level findings of the CDC programme, were published in May 2021 in the report ‘Condition of School Buildings Survey – Key Findings’.The report is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf.The Department has no plans to make a statement.

Schools: West Lancashire

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September 2022 to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in West Lancashire constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Gullis: The Department is preparing detailed analysis of the data collected for the Condition Data Collection (CDC) and plan to publish the details by the end of the year.The key, high-level findings of the CDC programme, were published in May 2021 in the report ‘Condition of School Buildings Survey – Key Findings’.The report is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf.The Department has no plans to make a statement.

Schools: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in (a) York Central constituency and (b) City of York Council area have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 28 September 2022 to Question 51633 on Schools: Solar Power, how many school buildings in (a) York Central constituency and (b) City of York Council area were inspected as part of the CDC Survey.

Jonathan Gullis: The Department is preparing detailed analysis of the data collected for the Condition Data Collection (CDC) programme and plan to publish the details by the end of the year.The key, high-level findings of the CDC programme, were published in May 2021 in the report ‘Condition of School Buildings Survey – Key Findings’.The report is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf.The Department has no plans to make a statement.

Schools: Luton South

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 27 September 2022 to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Luton South constituency contain one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 28 September 2022 to Question 51633 on Schools: Solar Power, how many school buildings in Luton South constituency were inspected as part of the 2017 to 2019 Condition Data Programme survey.

Jonathan Gullis: The Department is preparing detailed analysis of the data collected for the Condition Data Collection (CDC) programme and plan to publish the details by the end of the year.The key, high-level findings of the CDC programme, were published in May 2021 in the report ‘Condition of School Buildings Survey – Key Findings’.The report is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf.The Department has no plans to make a statement.

Schools: Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September 2022 to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 28 September 2022 to Question 51633 on Schools: Solar Power, how many school buildings in the Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough constituency were inspected as part of the CDC Survey.

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the capital cost of tackling the backlog of repairs to education buildings in Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough constituency.

Jonathan Gullis: The Department is preparing detailed analysis of the data collected for the Condition Data Collection (CDC) programme and modelled remediation costs to bring schools back into good condition based on CDC data, and plan to publish the details by the end of the year.The key, high-level findings of the CDC programme, were published in May 2021 in the report ‘Condition of School Buildings Survey – Key Findings’.The report is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf.The Department has no plans to make a statement.

Schools: Chesterfield

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September 2022 to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in the Chesterfield constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 28 September 2022 to Question 51633 on Schools: Solar Power, how many school buildings in the Chesterfield constituency were inspected as part of the CDC Survey.

Jonathan Gullis: The Department is preparing detailed analysis of the data collected for the Condition Data Collection (CDC) programme and plan to publish the details by the end of the year.The key, high-level findings of the CDC programme, were published in May 2021 in the report ‘Condition of School Buildings Survey – Key Findings’.The report is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf.The Department has no plans to make a statement.

Schools: Stockton North

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the capital cost of tackling the backlog of repairs in schools in Stockton North constituency.

Jonathan Gullis: The Department plans to publish remediation costs to bring schools back into good condition based on data collected in the Condition Data Collection programme (CDC) by the end of the year. This will include the schools in Stockton North constituency.The key, high-level findings of the CDC programme, were published in May 2021 in the report ‘Condition of School Buildings Survey – Key Findings’.The report is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf.The Department has no plans to make a statement.

Free School Meals

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the cost of living crisis on the numbers of children living in poverty who are not eligible for free school meals.

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will take steps to review the eligibility criteria for free school meals before the end of the 2022-23 autumn term.

Kelly Tolhurst: The department does not have plans to assess the potential impact of changes in the cost of living on pupils who are not eligible for free school meals (FSM). However, we continue to monitor the rising cost of living whilst working with other government departments on support surrounding this issue.The department will continue to keep FSM eligibility under review to ensure that these meals are supporting those who most need them. In setting a threshold, the government believes that the current level is correct, as it enables children to benefit from FSM, while remaining affordable and deliverable for schools.

Office of the Schools Adjudicator: Conditions of Employment and Workplace Pensions

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether staff employed by the Office of the Schools Adjudicator (a) have the same terms and conditions of employment as staff employed directly by his Department and (b) are able to join the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Jonathan Gullis: Staff employed by the Office of the Schools Adjudicator have different terms and conditions of employment from staff employed by the department. They are not able to join the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme.

LocatED: Conditions of Employment and Workplace Pensions

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether staff employed by LocatED (a) have the same terms and conditions of employment as staff employed directly by his Department and (b) are able to join the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Jonathan Gullis: Staff employed by LocatED have different terms and conditions of employment from staff employed by the Department, and are not currently able to join the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Special Educational Needs: Bootle

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) exclusions of SEN pupils and (b) total exclusions of students there were in schools in Bootle constituency in each of the last three years.

Jonathan Gullis: The table below shows the numbers of permanent exclusions and suspensions in total and by special educational needs (SEN) provision for Bootle constituency in academic years 2018/19 to 2020/21.Type YearTotalNo SENEducation health and care planSEN supportPermanent exclusions2020/2143012019/2042022018/198206Suspensions2020/2125912561282019/2028316681092018/1944127615150

GCSE: Coronavirus

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to provide support to students sitting their GCSEs this year whose learning may have been affected by the covid-19 pandemic.

Kelly Tolhurst: The department welcomed the successful return of summer exams and other formal assessments in 2022.The department and Ofqual have confirmed that in the 2022/23 academic year, exams and formal assessments will largely return to pre-pandemic arrangements in summer 2023.Ofqual confirmed a return to pre-pandemic grading in 2023. However, to protect students against disruption of recent years, and in case students’ performance is slightly lower than before the COVID-19 pandemic, senior examiners will use the grades achieved by previous cohorts of pupils, along with prior attainment data, to inform their decisions about where to set grade boundaries.The department has decided that formulae and equation sheets for GCSE mathematics, physics and combined sciences exams should be provided for any exams taken next summer. We have asked Ofqual to put this in place and they launched a consultation on this.The government has also provided a range of support packages to help students recover from the pandemic, targeted at those that need help most.The department’s ambitious, multi-year education recovery plan supports young people to catch up on missed learning by investing in what we know works: teacher training and evidence-based support, including tutoring and extra education opportunities.The department knows that disadvantaged children have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. We are committed to helping these pupils to recover and close the attainment gap. That is why the department’s recovery programmes, such as the recovery premium and the National Tutoring Programme, are especially focused on helping the most disadvantaged.

Childcare: Barking

Dame Margaret Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the affordability of childcare provision in Barking constituency.

Kelly Tolhurst: The department is committed to improving the cost, choice, and availability of childcare. We continue to look at ways to make childcare more affordable and to encourage families to use the government-funded support they are entitled to.The department collects data on the main characteristics of childcare and early years provision in England and fees data can be broken down to local authority level.The latest data shows the average hourly fee for childcare in Barking and Dagenham to be £6.00 for two-year-old children and £5.50 for three and four-year-old children.

Oak National Academy

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact on the commercial education market of converting the Oak National Academy to an arms-length body producing state-financed curriculum materials.

Kelly Tolhurst: As an integral part of the process to set up Oak National Academy as an arm’s length body, the department produced a business case which included an assessment of potential market impact. This business case draws upon market engagement and evidence provided by the market and will be published shortly. Monitoring market impact will be a priority throughout Oak National Academy’s lifetime and will be factored into the body’s ongoing evaluation and two-year review.

Oak National Academy

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, shat assessment has his department made on the impact of Oak National Academy becoming a public body on (a) teacher autonomy and (b) educational resource innovation.

Kelly Tolhurst: Converting Oak National Academy to an arm’s length body will have significant benefits for teachers, providing optional support which evidence suggests can reduce their workload and increase their curriculum expertise. As part of an evaluation carried out by ImpactEd, published at: https://thenational.academy, it was found that Oak National Academy made a significant contribution to decreasing teacher workload. Oak National Academy improved the workload for 42% of users, on average by 3 hours per week. The evaluation also found that 50% of teachers surveyed increased their confidence in curriculum design.As an integral part of the process to set up Oak National Academy as an arm’s length body, the department also produced a business case which included an assessment of the benefits for teachers, as well as potential market impact. This business case will be published shortly. Monitoring market impact will be a priority throughout Oak National Academy’s lifetime and will be factored into the body’s ongoing evaluation and two-year review.

Oak National Academy: Public Appointments

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to section 9 of the Framework Agreement for the Oak National Academy, when he will set out the process and timeline for the appointment of a permanent board of that body.

Kelly Tolhurst: The department will be launching an open competition for the permanent Chair and Board of Oak National Academy in due course. As set out at section 9 of the Oak National Academy framework document, these appointments will be made in accordance with the principles of the Governance Code on Public Appointments. The posts will be advertised on the Public Appointments website and will include a timeline for recruitment.

Children in Care: Housing

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many judgments from the Family Division of the High Court raised concerns about the lack of suitable accommodation for children in care in each of the last five years.

Kelly Tolhurst: The department does not routinely collect information on individual judgments from the Family Division of the High Court. Some family court judges choose to send copies of their judgments in individual cases to the Secretary of State for Education, and some draw attention to their concerns about the lack of sufficient accommodation for children in care.The responsibility for ensuring a looked-after child or young person is in the appropriate placement rests with local authorities.To support local authorities in meeting their sufficiency duties, £259 million of capital funding for the department was agreed through the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021 to deliver further waves of building programmes for both open and secure children’s homes so more children and young people can receive the care they need.

Breakfast Clubs: Barking

Dame Margaret Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has made an assessment on the number of breakfast clubs open in Barking constituency.

Kelly Tolhurst: The department is committed to continuing support for school breakfast clubs, and we are investing up to £24 million to continue our national programme until the end of the summer term in 2023. This funding will support up to 2,500 schools in disadvantaged areas, meaning that thousands of children from low-income families will be offered free nutritious breakfasts to better support their attainment, wellbeing, and readiness to learn.Schools are eligible for the programme if they have 40% or more pupils within bands A-F of the IDACI scale, a nationally recognised indicator of need.The enrolment process is still underway for schools that wish to sign up to the programme. As of May 2022, over 2,000 schools had signed up. The department does not hold data on school eligibility and food orders at a constituency level, and there are currently no plans to undertake an assessment per local authority. We will continue to work with our supplier, Family Action, to monitor the data on a national level and consider suitable opportunities to share more information on the programme in due course.

Special Educational Needs: Bootle

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many requests for Education Health and Care Plan were (a) requested by parents or (b) signed off by Sefton Council for students in the Bootle constituency.

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the amount of time it takes for a young person to be accepted for an education, health and care plan in the Sefton Council area.

Kelly Tolhurst: The department does not have specific detailed information on the Bootle constituency. However, 602 requests for assessments were received by Sefton Council in the 12 months up to January 2022. In the same time period, 321 new education, health and care plans were issued by Sefton Council. This compares to 431 requests and 296 plans issued in the 12 months preceding January 2021.In 2021 61.1% of new assessments were completed by Sefton Council within the statutory 20-week timescale. The national average in this time period was 59.9%.

Childcare: Health Professions

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what childcare support the Government provides for (a) student nurses, (b) midwives and (c) paramedics; and what plans he has to increase that level of support.

Kelly Tolhurst: Support for childcare available to students, including student nurses, midwives, and paramedics includes the Childcare Grant and Parents’ Learning Allowance. These schemes are available for full-time students with dependent children.Since September 2020, for additional financial support to help with childcare costs, all eligible nursing, midwifery, paramedics and other allied health profession students have received a non-repayable training grant of a minimum of £5,000 per academic year. Eligible students with child dependants can also access a further £2,000 per academic year.In addition to the above childcare support for students, all parents are eligible for the universal 15 hours of free early education which is available to all three and four-year-olds regardless of family circumstances.Working parents of three and four-year-olds may also be eligible for an additional 15 hours of free childcare if they earn the equivalent of 16 hours a week at national minimum or living wage and under £100,000 per year. Students who participate in paid work in addition to their studies and meet the income requirements will be eligible for the additional hours.Parents who meet these income criteria may also be able to receive support from Tax-Free Childcare, which can be worth up to £2,000 per year for children aged 0-11, or up to £4,000 per year for disabled children aged 0-16.Further information on the childcare offers available to parents can be accessed at: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.

Oak National Academy: Writers

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact the Oak National Academy’s proposed creative commons licensing on education authors’ moral rights of attribution and integrity.

Kelly Tolhurst: Oak National Academy is undertaking ongoing market engagement while finalising its plans for procurement. It is considering a range of potential licensing arrangements that will ensure third-party intellectual property rights will be respected. The invitation to tender will be released shortly.

Oak National Academy

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions her Department has had with teachers on converting the Oak National Academy to an arms-length curriculum body.

Kelly Tolhurst: Oak’s future and operating model was discussed with teachers and others in the sector in multiple forums. My hon. Friend, the former Minister for School Standards held roundtable discussions with teachers and school leaders from a range of schools and multi-academy trusts. The department held a series of public webinars for teachers, school leaders, and sector bodies. Plans for Oak’s future have also been discussed with teacher representatives, including school leaders and unions, and teacher viewpoints have been collected through surveys.

Childcare: Easington

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an estimate of the number of (a) nurseries and (b) other early years childcare settings which have closed in Easington constituency since March 2021.

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will undertake a review of the operating resilience of early years childcare providers in Easington constituency; and if he will make a statement.

Kelly Tolhurst: According to Ofsted records, as of 31 March 2022, 0 providers on non-domestic premises and 10 childminders had left the Early Years Register in Easington between March 2021 and March 2022. Over the same period, 1 provider on non-domestic premises and 1 childminder joined the Early Years Register in Easington.Ofsted’s publication provides data on both joiners and leavers to the register, but not at a parliamentary constituency level, so this analysis is based on the differences in the Early Years register between March 2021 and March 2022.The department has no plans to make a statement on the operating resilience of early years childcare providers in Easington constituency.

Oak National Academy

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to commission an independent evaluation of Oak National Academy.

Kelly Tolhurst: There will be ongoing monitoring and evaluation of Oak National Academy. This will include independent evaluation.Oak National Academy will also be reviewed as part of the wider Public Bodies Reviews programme. The date of the next review will be in 2024 and will act as a checkpoint to ensure the body is operating effectively and efficiently.Oak National Academy has commissioned independent evaluation from ImpactEd. Impact Evaluation reports for 2020/21 and 2021/22 are published on Oak’s website.

Oak National Academy: Conditions of Employment and Workplace Pensions

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether staff employed by Oak National Academy (a) enjoy the same terms and conditions of employment as staff employed directly by his Department, and (b) are able to join the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Kelly Tolhurst: Staff employed by Oak National Academy have different terms and conditions of employment from staff employed directly by the department, and are not currently able to join the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Social Work England: Conditions of Employment and Workplace Pensions

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether staff employed by Social Work England (a) have the same terms and conditions of employment as staff employed directly by the Department for Education and (b) are able to join the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Kelly Tolhurst: Staff employed by Social Work England:(a) have different terms and conditions of employment from staff employed by the Department; and(b) are not currently able to join the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Oak National Academy: Public Appointments

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Framework Agreement for the Oak National Academy, whether his Department (a) sought and (b) received advice from the Commissioner for Public Appointments before establishing the mechanism for appointing the Board of Oak National Academy in Section 9 of that Agreement.

Kelly Tolhurst: The department has made direct interim appointments to the Oak National Academy Board, ahead of the open competition for the permanent chair and board which will launch soon. The Commissioner for Public Appointments Office does not regulate interim roles. To follow best practice, the permanent board appointments will be made in accordance with the principles of the Governance Code for Public Appointment.The interim appointments ensure that Oak National Academy has a strong level of governance until permanent postholders are in place. The interim board includes acting teachers and has the expertise and experience required to ensure that Oak National Academy achieves its mission: to support schools and teachers to deliver their curriculum to a high-quality, giving all children the best education possible.

Oak National Academy: Directors

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, in respect of Oak National Academy, (a) which of the interim directors listed on its website are (i) executive and (ii) non-executive and (b) which of the interim directors listed on its website (a) are independent, and (b) are not independent.

Kelly Tolhurst: Matt Hood and Emma Beatty are executive directors.Ian Bauckham, Cassie Buchanan, Sean Harford, Louise Kirby and Henry De Zoete are non-executive directors.They are independent directors as defined in the Articles of Association of Oak National Academy. They are not officers, employees, or members of the Department for Education.

Children's Commissioner for England: Conditions of Employment and Workplace Pensions

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether staff employed by the Office of the Children's Commissioner (a) have the same terms and conditions of employment as staff employed directly by his Department and (b) are able to join the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Kelly Tolhurst: Staff employed by the Office of the Children’s Commissioner have different terms and conditions of employment from staff employed by the department and are able to join the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Schools: Carbon Dioxide

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish the research on the use of carbon dioxide monitors in schools referred to in his letter of 17 August 2022 to Geoff Barton, General Secretary, ASCL.

Jonathan Gullis: The Department carried out a £25 million programme to improve ventilation in all education settings in the 2021/22 academic year. The Department provided over 386,000 CO2 monitors to state-funded early years, schools, and further education providers, to support them in being able to assess ventilation in their setting.The Department has also provided over 8,000 air cleaning units to state-funded schools with poorly ventilated teaching spaces that cannot be otherwise remedied. Applications were assessed against strict criteria that were set out in guidance.Regarding the question on publishing the research on the use of CO2 monitors, the Department already published research on the use of CO2 monitors on 24 January 2022 this year, with further information added to this release on 30 June 2022.The full publication is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/co2-monitor-survey-and-applications-for-air-cleaning-units.

Educational Institutions: Health

Richard Foord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to utilise new technology to support people's physical and mental wellbeing in educational settings.

Kelly Tolhurst: Schools, colleges, and universities have the flexibility to decide what provision is appropriate for their students’ mental and physical wellbeing. This may include the use of technology, such as apps and fitness trackers, but it is for individual educational establishments to decide whether and how technology is appropriate to their educational contexts and circumstances.

Condition Improvement Fund

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the guidance on the Condition Improvement Fund updated on 13 October 2022, and the availability of loans for academies & sixth form colleges, what the total current value of loans taken out by (a) academies and (b) sixth form colleges was under the scheme.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the guidance on the Condition Improvement Fund, updated on 13 October 2022, and the availability of loans for academies and sixth form colleges, what the largest single loan was that any (a) academy (b) sixth form college has taken out under the scheme.

Jonathan Gullis: Over £4 billion of funding in total has been awarded to Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) projects over the eight annual rounds since the programme launched CIF 2015/16.As a proportion of that overall funding, over the eight CIF rounds, academies have taken out (or committed to take out) loans totalling £77,226,874. Sixth form colleges have taken out (or committed to take out) CIF loans totalling £1,421,165.The largest single loan taken out by an academy since the CIF programme began was £1,800,000 (a CIF 2015/16 project) and by a sixth form college was £750,000 (also a CIF 2015-16 project).

Childcare: Lewisham East

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made an estimate of the affordability of childcare provision in Lewisham East constituency.

Kelly Tolhurst: The department is committed to improving the cost, choice, and availability of childcare. We continue to look at ways to make childcare more affordable and to encourage families to use government-funded support they are entitled to.The department collects data on the main characteristics of childcare and early years provision in England and fees data can be broken down to local authority level.Lewisham East constituency falls within the London Borough of Lewisham, where the latest data shows the average hourly fee band for childcare to be £6.50 for two-year-old children, and £6.50 for three and four-year-old children.

Pupils: Mental Health Services

Kim Leadbeater: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of including teaching on suicide and self-harm prevention in the national curriculum; and what steps he is taking to help ensure students starting examinations have access to mental health and other support services.

Kelly Tolhurst: All pupils in schools are taught about mental health as part of the relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum, which the department made mandatory in 2020 to ensure that all pupils are taught about important topics.Schools can teach older pupils about suicide in an age-appropriate and sensitive way. The RSHE statutory guidance advises that schools should approach teaching about self-harm and suicide carefully and should be aware of the risks to pupils from exposure to materials that are instructive rather than preventative, including websites or videos that provide instructions or methods of self-harm or suicide. The guidance is clear that where teachers have concerns about a specific pupil in relation to self-harm or suicidal thoughts, they must follow safeguarding procedures immediately.Schools and other education providers should be preparing all children and young people for examinations and should have strong pastoral support in place to help pupils deal with any worries they might have throughout the year.Ofqual has a series of dedicated resources on exam anxiety and stress. This includes a practical guide for students on coping with exam pressure, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coping-with-exam-pressure-a-guide-for-students/coping-with-exam-pressure-a-guide-for-students. The NHS have also produced advice and guidance aimed at parents and carers on supporting their child through examinations, accessible at: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/children-and-young-adults/advice-for-parents/help-your-child-beat-exam-stress/.

Oak National Academy: Directors

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the definition of independent in the Articles of Association for Oak National Academy, what is meant by independent in the reference to the independent non-executive director in section nine of the Framework Agreement for the Oak National Academy; and whether an independent person in this context would be someone who is not an (a) officer, (b) employee or (c) member of the Department for Education.

Kelly Tolhurst: As set out in the Articles of Association of Oak National Academy, ‘Independent Director’ means “a Director of the Company who is not an officer, employee or member of the Department for Education.”

Condition Improvement Fund

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the guidance on the Condition Improvement Fund, updated on 13 October 2022, and the availability of loans for academies and sixth form colleges, how schools and colleges will be required to demonstrate commitment to a proposed condition improvement scheme other than through seeking to take a loan from the CIF as set out on page 39 of the Information for Applicants.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to guidance on the Condition Improvement Fund, updated on 13 October 2022, and the availability of loans for academies and sixth form colleges, how a demonstrated commitment to a proposed condition improvement scheme, which has been demonstrated by seeking a loan, as set out on page 39 of the Information for Applicants document, may (a) advantage an application in respect of its probability of success, and (b) expedite the processing of an application.

Jonathan Gullis: There is no obligation on schools to take out a Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) loan or provide a contribution towards a CIF project from financial reserves.CIF loans are an option available for all or part of the funding for any CIF project. Applicants can choose the size of any loan and a timescale of up to 10 years over which they may repay.Applicants may receive between one and six points in the CIF project assessment if they provide a contribution from their existing funds, third party funding or take out a CIF loan.Providing a financial contribution or taking out a CIF loan does not expedite the CIF application. The funding sources score contributes to the overall score of the bid. It is the overall score that decides whether a bid is successful, not the level of any contribution provided. The main consideration for applicants should be on achieving a high overall score by evidencing high condition need, strong cost certainty and detailed project delivery planning. The final consideration should be about whether a contribution is affordable and whether a small number of additional points can be achieved from making one.Encouraging schools and trusts to take out a repayable CIF loan or make a contribution from reserves, helps ensure they are engaged in delivering value for money projects and maximises the amount of work the fund can support each year.

Ministry of Justice

Members: Correspondence

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to respond to the correspondence of 25 March 2021 from the hon. Member for Bristol East on a constituent.

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to respond to the letter of 25 June 2021 from the hon. Member for Bristol East relating to several constituents.

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to respond to the letter of 16 August 2021 from the hon. Member for Bristol East relating to a constituent. .

Rachel Maclean: The letter of 25 June 2021 was answered on 22 July 2021.The letter dated 25 March 2021 was sent to the Ministry of Justice in error and was passed onto the Department for Work and Pensions.We had no record of receiving the initial letter dated 16 August 2021, however, we subsequently received a copy of the correspondence on 17 October 2022 which will be responded to in due course.

Ministry of Justice: Railways

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much his Department spent on first class train travel for (a) ministers and (b) civil servants in (i) 2020, (i) 2021 and (iii) 2022.

Rachel Maclean: 2020 Apr - AprTotal spend on 1st class train travel£150,189.50 Of which was Judiciary£144,017.30 Civil Servants£6,172.202021 Apr - AprTotal spend on 1st class train travel£287,039.60 Of which was Judiciary£261,289.25 Civil Servants£25,750.352022 (YTD) Apr - SeptTotal spend on 1st class train travel£215,246.05 Of which was Judiciary£195,015.65 Civil Servants£20,230 We are unable to break down the amount spent on ministerial travel as Ministers are not considered employees of the department. They are therefore not required to create accounts and book their own travel which can be monitored through our management reports. Instead, their travel is booked by Private Office employees and logged as guest users.

Ministry of Justice: Heavenly Services

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much from the public purse his Department spent with Heavenly Services Ltd between 1 April 2017 and 1 May 2022; and what steps his Department takes to ensure that services for which payment is made are provided as specified.

Rachel Maclean: The MoJ’s spend with Heavenly Services Ltd is included in the below table.Spend YearTotal Spend2017/2018£0.002018/2019£0.002019/2020£0.002020/2021£0.002021/2022£2,442.002022/2023 (to 01/05/22)£0.00Total£2,442.00 Heavenly Services Ltd are a funeral director. The service was used following a death in custody at HMP Leeds. When a death in custody occurs, the family liaison officer attends the funeral service.

Divorce: Children

Sarah Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to minimise the impact of divorce proceedings on children.

Gareth Johnson: In April of this year the Government implemented the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020. This landmark legislation reduces conflict between couples within the legal process for divorce or dissolution by removing the ‘fault’ element from the process, thereby reducing the impact of divorce on any children by assisting parents to focus on their children’s best interests.

Department for International Trade

Trade Agreements: Commonwealth

Mark Eastwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, when she plans to publish the full details of the New Commonwealth Deal.

Sir James Duddridge: We are committed to working with our friends and allies in the Commonwealth to remove unnecessary barriers to free and fair trade, strengthen trading relationships, and building better, greener and more resilient global supply chains. Of the 55 other Commonwealth members, we have trade agreements with 33 and an additional 16 qualify for preferential access to the UK market under the Developing Countries Trading Scheme. There are no current plans to proceed with a Commonwealth New Deal as we are negotiating an ambitious programme of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) at unprecedented pace to help our nation become a truly Global Britain. We are progressing negotiations to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), as well as negotiating FTAs with India, Canada, Mexico, Israel, and the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Bitumens: Overseas Trade

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, in the context of the war in Ukraine, what discussions her Department has had about obtaining bitumen from non-Russian sources.

Mr Marcus Fysh: Bitumen is in the trade sanctions for Russia (under oil products). It is a by-product of oil refining and is a product that has been supplied to the UK from a number of countries. The Government regularly engages with firms in the construction sector about the supply of products, and the supply of bitumen from non-Russian sources has not been raised as a concern. In particular, National Highways has been working with its supply chain to confirm compliance with sanctions and to ensure ongoing certainty of supply.

Department for International Trade: House of Commons

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department have had with the business managers in the House of Commons in that last 12 months.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what correspondence (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department have had with the House of Commons Business Managers in the last 12 months.

Sir James Duddridge: The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues in order to ensure effective scrutiny of trade policy. Details of correspondence between officials is not held centrally.

Trade Agreements

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the answer of 8 September 2020 to Question 81659 on Trade Negotiations, if it remains the intention of her Department to establish a dedicated Trade Negotiation Facility to support future trade negotiations.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the answer of 8 September 2020 to Question 81659 on Trade Agreements, how much public money was spent by her Department in each of the financial years from 2017-18 to 2021-22 on expenditure related to the proposed establishment of a dedicated Trade Negotiation Facility to support future trade negotiations.

Sir James Duddridge: The Government switched to remote technology to conduct trade negotiations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our success in doing so means countries now operate international dialogues on a hybrid basis with a blend of remote and face-to-face discussions. This contrasts with the pre-pandemic international norm of always conducting trade negotiations in person. This change, spearheaded by the UK, has negated the requirement for a dedicated Trade Negotiation Facility. The spend by financial year on developing a potential dedicated venue is as follows: YearSpend2017/18£02018/19£02019/20£760,0002020/21£249,0002021/22£0

Trade Agreements: Animal Welfare

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent steps she has taken to ensure all trade deals include the strongest animal welfare standards.

Greg Hands: Decisions on animal welfare standards are a matter for the UK and are made separately from trade agreements. All food imports must comply with our high standards and the Government is working to secure world-class free trade agreements that uphold our manifesto commitment to not compromise on the UK’s animal welfare standards for which our country is rightly renowned. We have secured ground-breaking provisions on animal welfare with Australia and New Zealand. This includes a standalone animal welfare chapter, a non-regression clause and a comprehensive partnership to work with Australia and New Zealand, including internationally, to progress animal welfare.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Israel: Nuclear Weapons

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate he has made of the size of Israel nuclear weapons arsenal.

Gillian Keegan: Israel has never declared a nuclear weapons programme. The UK Government continues to encourage Israel to sign the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) as a Non-Nuclear Weapon State. We regularly monitor all global nuclear developments and will continue to work with international partners to strengthen the non-proliferation regime and advance multilateral nuclear disarmament.

China: Police Stations

Patricia Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on allegations that the Chinese Government is operating unofficial police stations in London to track down dissidents and force them to return to China.

Jesse Norman: The UK Government continually assesses potential threats in the UK, and takes the protection of individuals' rights, freedoms, and safety in the UK very seriously. To this end, any foreign country operating on UK soil must abide by UK law. We will not tolerate interference in UK communities from any foreign country. As you would expect, Home Office officials work closely with the FCDO and The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities as well as other government departments in ensuring that the UK is a safe and welcoming place for those who choose to settle here.

Afghanistan: Muslims

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to (a) protect Hazara Muslim communities in Afghanistan from violence and (b) support Hazara Muslims refugees to help them to travel to the UK.

Leo Docherty: We regularly press the Taliban to respect the human rights of all Afghans and to protect minority groups, including Hazaras, from attacks. On 7 October, we co-sponsored a Human Rights Council resolution to extend the UN Special Rapporteur's mandate to monitor and report on the situation for another year.The Government is working closely with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to resettle refugees through UNHCR's standard resettlement categories, based on an assessment of protection needs and vulnerabilities. The first arrivals have already been welcomed to the UK and we will continue to receive further UNHCR referrals for the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme.

Myanmar: Genocide

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will request a meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the non-implementation by Myanmar of the provisional measures set out in the International Court of Justice judgement of 22 July 2022 on the case of Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (The Gambia v. Myanmar).

Jesse Norman: On 25 August 2022, the UK announced its intention to intervene in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) case regarding Myanmar's compliance with its obligations under the Genocide Convention, in relation to acts committed against the Rohingya. We are also clear that Myanmar should comply with all aspects of the ICJ's Provisional Measures Order, which requires Myanmar to take steps to prevent the commission of genocide against the Rohingya.We convened the UN Security Council in February 2020 following the ICJ's announcement of the Provisional Measures Order and publicly urged Myanmar's compliance with these legally binding obligations. We understand the ICJ is monitoring Myanmar's compliance with the Provisional Measures Order, which we support.

Falkland Islands: Sovereignty

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications of of reports that Guillermo Carmona, Minister for the Falkland Islands, Antarctica and the South Atlantic in the government of Argentina, visited Colombia and Ecuador between 10 and 13 October 2022 to seek regional support for Argentina's sovereignty claim over the Falklands Islands.

Jesse Norman: As the UK reaffirmed at the Organisation of American States' General Assembly on 5-7 October, we have no doubt about our sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. We remain committed to the principle and the right of the Falkland Islanders of self-determination. They expressed their wish to remain a self-governing overseas territory of the UK in 2013. There can be no dialogue on sovereignty unless the Falkland Islanders so wish. In continuing to push its claim over the Falkland Island, Argentina is entirely disregarding the people who live there and their right of self-determination.

Development Aid: Health Services

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which funding mechanisms his Department uses to disburse Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights aid to fragile and conflict-affected states.

Vicky Ford: In 2020, FCDO used bilateral and bilateral through multilateral aid grants (excluding debt reorganisation) to disburse Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights aid to fragile and conflict-affected states. This included:· Contributions to single-donor funding mechanisms and contributions earmarked for a specific funding window or geographical location· Contributions to specific-purpose programmes and funds managed by implementing partners· Core support to NGOs, other private bodies, PPPs and research institutes· Donor country personnel· Other technical assistance· Project-type interventionsFor previous years, please refer to the "Statistics on International Development: final UK aid spend 2020 - Data underlying the SID publication" annex table: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statistics-on-international-development-final-uk-aid-spend-2020. Data for 2021 is not available yet.Please, note the share of the UK multilateral core contribution attributable to SRHR is estimated by Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevölkerung (DSW) and published in the "Donor Delivering for SRHR" report here: https://donorsdelivering.report/. Multilateral core funding attributable to SRHR by specific country is not available.

Mexico: Electronic Surveillance

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Mexican counterpart on reports of the use of Pegasus spy software against journalists in that country.

Jesse Norman: While we do not comment on the use of Pegasus against individuals, it is vital that nation states and cyber actors use capabilities in a way that is legal, responsible and proportionate to ensure cyberspace remains a safe and prosperous place for everyone.We are committed to ensuring key technologies are not misused in a way that undermines human rights. The UK and Mexico regularly discuss human rights and the protection of journalists and have agreed to hold a bilateral human rights dialogue.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 October 2022 to Question 53317, on Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution, and the Answer of 11 October 2022 to Question 53319, on Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution, which stated that the payment was subject to normal FCDO controls and in line with government procurement card policy, (a) whether the £1,973 paid to Finishing Touches in Great Britain on 22 March under the merchant category, Barber and Beauty Shops, is an erroneous duplicate of the £1,973 paid to Finishing Touches in Gibraltar under the merchant category, Equipment, Furniture, Home Furnishings, on 29 March, and (b) what assessment he has made of the reason for this error occurring given that the payments were subject to normal FCDO controls.

Gillian Keegan: The £1,973.30 paid on 22 March and the £1,973.00 paid on 29 March were a 50% deposit paid via an in-store terminal and 50% final telephone payment for maintenance and replacement of furnishings and fittings in Gibraltar. The Merchant Category Code (MCC) and location can differ between individual terminals for the same retailer. In this case the details received from one terminal do not match the transaction; we have reported this anomaly to our card issuer. When these transactions are approved in FCDO systems, officials are not provided with the MCC but see the merchant's name, date, and the value, which were known to be correct. An incorrect MCC has no bearing on the validity of the transaction.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 October 2022 to Question 53321, on Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution, (a) what was the (i) nature, (ii) purpose and (iii) date of the event for which these costs were incurred and (b) what is the (i) full company name and (ii) location of the supplier to whom the payment of £3,513.33 was made.

Gillian Keegan: This was a payment to Soccer.com, Sports Endeavours Ltd based in North Carolina. It was for GREAT campaign branded t-shirts and footballs which were used as part of a successful soft power event in Boston in March 2022.

Haiti: Cholera

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support the Government is providing to Haiti following reports of a cholera outbreak in that country.

Jesse Norman: The FCDO is engaging with international partners and NGOs to help contain the spread of cholera throughout the world. Through our contributions to the UN and other international organisations, we are assisting the Haitian Government's efforts to address systemic in-country issues which have exacerbated their recent outbreak.The difficult security situation in Haiti has impeded the transport of supplies, including fuel, which means sanitation facilities in some areas have ceased functioning. We are using our platform within the UN Security Council to help stabilise Haiti so international support can reach people in need.

Ethiopian Airlines: Accidents

Richard Foord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Ethiopian counterpart on (a) supporting the families of those killed in the crash of Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 302, (b) the release of an air accident investigation report, and (c) establishing a UK coroner's inquest.

Gillian Keegan: Our thoughts remain with the victims and their families of this tragic accident, and appreciate the distress caused by the ongoing delays. Officials at the British Embassy in Addis Ababa have been in contact with the Ethiopian Ministry of Transport and Air Accident Investigation Department to discuss the release of the final air accident report and will continue to lobby them for its immediate release. The Ethiopian authorities have said the report was delayed due to the pandemic and have not yet confirmed a new date for issue. We will continue to urge the Ethiopian authorities to release the report as soon as possible, as this will be part of the requirement for any inquest hearing into the crash to proceed.

Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty Review Conference

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which countries will be included in the Working Group on Strengthening the Review Process, agreed at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference in August 2022; and when the group will hold its first meeting.

Leo Docherty: The UK welcomes the decision at the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Review Conference in August to establish a Working Group on Strengthening the Review Process. All NPT States Parties will be invited to participate in the Working Group; the UN Secretariat has not yet issued a date for the first meeting.

Uruguay: Fisheries

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Uruguayan counterpart on reports of illegal fishing in or near Uruguayan waters by Chinese vessels.

Jesse Norman: UK officials regularly discuss illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing with the Uruguayan Government and it was one of the topics raised during the Uruguayan President's visit to the UK in May 2022. Managing and maintaining fish stocks in the Southwest Atlantic is a shared responsibility. The UK is expanding and enhancing our efforts to manage fisheries sustainably, protect ecosystems and combat IUU fishing at an international scale through our engagement in regional and international organisations, including the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation. We will continue to support approaches that will secure long-term sustainable management of high seas fisheries.

Central America: Storms

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what humanitarian support her Department is providing to victims of Storm Julia in Central America.

Jesse Norman: The UK provides £1.5m annually to the The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) which has deployed assistance in response to Storm Julia to cover immediate needs such as evacuating people and assets, protecting homes, and buying emergency supplies. We continue to work with the Met Office, Embassies and regional Governments to monitor events in the region and we will consider requests from governments for support on a case-by-case basis.

Nicaragua: Diplomatic Service

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of reports that the government of Nicaragua has ordered the EU Ambassador to Nicaragua to leave that country.

Jesse Norman: The Government of Nicaragua ordered the EU Ambassador to leave Nicaragua on 28 September which the EU underlined was "unwarranted". The Nicaraguan government also broke off diplomatic relations with the Netherlands on 30 September. The ongoing deterioration of political and human rights in Nicaragua is a very serious matter, and we regularly underline our concerns directly with the Nicaraguan government and in multilateral fora. Under the Nicaragua Sanctions regime, we have imposed travel bans and asset freezes on several senior regime figures, including the Vice President, two Directors General of the National Police and the President of the National Assembly. We continue to consider how, with partners, we maintain pressure on the regime and urge it to comply with international human rights law and respect human rights.

Developing Countries: HIV Infection

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much his Department has spent on targeting HIV and AIDS under the OECD’s DAC codes (1) 13041, and (2) 13042 in the financial years (a) 2018-19, (b) 2019-20, and (c) 2020-21.

Vicky Ford: Details of FCDO Official Development Assistance (ODA) is published by calendar year, UK extending agency and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC) sector code in the "Statistics on International Development: final UK aid spend" annex tables here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-on-international-development.Sector Purpose Code (CRS code)Extending Agency Text201720182019202013040Department for International Development12,788,05710,059,0578,275,4598,419,80913040Foreign & Commonwealth Office 6,500   FCDO total:12,788,05710,065,5578,275,4598,419,809Please note "13040" is the official OECD DAC code for both "13041" and "13042". These codes were defined and solely used by former DFID. They did not exist in former FCO spend data and would not provide a complete picture for the FCDO.Please also note that this code encompasses all activities related to sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS control. Information exclusively on spend related to HIV/AIDS control within these codes is not readily available or held centrally, and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.Data for 2021 is not available yet.

Belarus: Sanctions

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department will impose further sanctions on Belarus for permitting the stationing of 9,000 further Russian armed forces personnel in its territory.

Leo Docherty: The UK, along with our allies, will continue to put pressure on Lukashenko's regime until he withdraws his support and facilitation of Putin's unjust war. Nothing and no one is off the table. The UK Government has already imposed extensive sanctions on Belarus, delivering commitments made by the Prime Minister in her previous role as Foreign Secretary to extend sanctions against Russia to people and entities in Belarus who support Putin's illegal war. The UK Government does not speculate on specific future designations as to do so could reduce the impact of the designations.

British Overseas Territories: Development Aid

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer given on 2 March 2020 February to Question 19029, on British Overseas Territories: Development Aid, what further discussions his Department has had on providing Official Development Assistance to the British Overseas Territories after 2024.

Jesse Norman: The UK Overseas Territories continue to have access to some EU development funding and will do so until approximately 2024. UK officials routinely discuss funding streams with their counterparts in the Overseas Territories which are eligible to receive UK Official Development Assistance. The UK government has committed to take into account any shortfalls which arise from the end of EU funding as we plan future UK spending in the Overseas Territories.

Gaza: Breast Cancer

Kim Leadbeater: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Israeli counterparts on ensuring women in Gaza are afforded unimpeded access to medical treatment for breast cancer.

Gillian Keegan: We are closely monitoring the ongoing humanitarian situation in Gaza. The UK Embassy in Tel Aviv regularly raises the importance of access to healthcare, including critical health services, with the Israeli authorities. We are urging the Government of Israel to ensure this access is maintained. The wounded and critically ill in Gaza should be able to access the urgent medical care they need.

Ministry of Defence

Ajax Vehicles

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if the 21 Ajax platforms in operation in the Armed Forces have been formally accepted into service.

Alec Shelbrooke: 26 Ajax vehicles have been delivered to the Army. It remains the case that until tests have been completed , it is not possible to say when Ajax will be in operational service. We will not accept a vehicle until it can be used safely for its intended purposes.

Household Cavalry: Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the 26 armoured vehicles handed over to the Household Cavalry remain in working order.

Alec Shelbrooke: Their use remains limited under safety notices while we work to resolve the noise and vibration issues with General Dynamics as per the contract.

Estonia: Armed Forces

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent estimate his Department has made of the manpower requirements that will be required for the UK's enhanced forward presence in Estonia.

James Heappey: The requirement for the UK's enhanced Forward Presence is based on capabilities, not personnel numbers. As agreed at the NATO summit in Madrid, the UK has pledged a number of contributions to enhance our enduring commitment to Estonia. The UK's future force posture in Estonia will be comprised of a rotational permanent Battlegroup, an enhanced Headquarters, and surge deployments of additional personnel and capabilities throughout the year, including on exercise SPRING STORM in May. As the enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Battlegroup is a rotational deployment, the number of people associated with the tasking will increase and decrease throughout the year. It is currently comprised of 994 UK personnel, and will rise to c.1020 when the Battlegroup rotates in March. Our eFP HQ will be enhanced in 2023, bringing the total number of personnel deployed in the HQ to around 35. In addition to the Force Elements deployed forward to Estonia, the UK will hold the balance of a brigade at high readiness in the UK, ready to reinforce in the region as required by SACEUR.

A400M Aircraft

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 5 October 2022 to Question 53304, which (a) roles, (b) missions and (c) other tasks previously carried out by the C-130J Hercules will not be replicated by the Atlas A400M when the C-130J Hercules is retired in 2023.

James Heappey: The Atlas A400M is a versatile aircraft carrying out a range of air mobility tasks. The RAF is working at pace to ensure the military effect delivered by the C130-J is either replicated through A400M or delivered in a different way by this more modern and capable aircraft.

EU Defence Policy

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with the EU Ambassador to the UK on the UK’s application to join the Military Mobility Permanent Structured Cooperation project.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with EU officials on the UK’s application to join the Military Mobility Permanent Structured Cooperation project.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with his (a) European and (B) US counterparts on the UK’s application to join the Military Mobility Permanent Structured Cooperation project.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with NATO officials on the UK’s application to join the Military Mobility Permanent Structured Cooperation project.

James Heappey: The UK Government regularly discusses defence and security issues with our NATO Allies and European partners. We have discussed the UK's application to join the Military Mobility project with EU Member States including the Netherlands as project lead, Germany and France; the European External Action Service; and the US, Canada and Norway as existing third country participants. We have also kept NATO informed throughout the application process as the Military Mobility Project is key to to the alliance's ability to move forces quickly and at scale across continental Europe.

Afghanistan: Refugees

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Afghans relocated to the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme are in full-time employment.

James Heappey: Data is not held on full-time employment figures specifically for Afghans relocated to the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme.For those who have arrived under the ARAP scheme, and for those still to come, we continue working with our colleagues across Government under Operation WARM WELCOME to make sure that they are properly supported as they now rebuild their lives in the UK. In order to help them fully integrate into society, Government support includes that relating to employment, accommodation and education. Defence is supporting these efforts, for those Afghans with a Defence connection, working closely with our charitable partners.

Israel: Military Exercises

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what planned training exercises the armed forces have with the Israeli armed forces in (a) 2022 and (b) 2023.

James Heappey: There are currently no planned training exercises with the Israeli Armed Forces during this period.

Israel: Military Aid

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what training the Royal Air Force provided to Israel in each year since 2019; where that training took place; and what types of training the Royal Air Force delivered.

James Heappey: The Royal Air Force has not provided any training to Israel in this period.

Israel: Military Aid

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what training the Army provided to Israel in each year since 2019; where that training took place; and what types of training the Army delivered.

James Heappey: The Army has not provided any training to Israel in this period.

Israel and Occupied Territories: Armed Forces

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK military personnel are stationed in (a) Israel and (b) the Occupied Palestinian Territories; and what the roles of those personnel are.

James Heappey: As of 19 October 2022, the UK have three permanent military personnel in Israel. They are all based in the British Embassy in Tel Aviv. They carry out key activities in Defence Engagement and Diplomacy.The Ministry of Defence supports the HMG Middle East Peace Process Programme in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel. The programme aims to help protect the political and physical viability of a two-state solution. We would not disclose the location and numbers of military personnel for security reasons.

Armed Forces: Training

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many ex-Armed Forces personnel his Department has recorded as training foreign militaries in each year since 2010; and if he will publish a list of all countries involved.

James Heappey: The MOD does not track former Armed Forces personnel, where they travel to, or roles they undertake in a private capacity after leaving the Armed Forces. The behaviours and actions of former UK Armed Forces personnel may become of interest to MOD if it is reported that they or their activity poses a threat to National Security.

NATO: Armed Forces

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many troops the UK committed to NATO's commitment to move 100,000 personnel at ten days' notice as part of NATO's New Force Model.

James Heappey: The New Force Model concept is still being defined by NATO and to date Allies have not been formally asked to provide details on the numbers of military personnel at varying levels of readiness.As the leading European ally within NATO, the UK will seek to ensure that it meets its fair share of resourcing the New Force Model and to provide SACEUR with the forces he requires to preserve European security.The UK is working closely with NATO to both shape and inform future plans which will influence the final requirements for the New Force Model and the associated readiness requirements.

Armed Forces: Training

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans the legislative proposals to help prevent the hiring of ex-service personnel by foreign militaries to train their Armed Forces without his Department's permission to be laid before the House; and what measures he expects those proposals to contain.

James Heappey: The National Security Bill is currently before Parliament - it makes the UK an even harder target for any states seeking to conduct hostile acts against the UK, steal our information for their advantage, or interfere in our society covertly. It brings together vital new measures to protect the UK, modernising counter espionage laws and addressing the ever-evolving threat to our national security.

Maritime Patrol Aircraft: Recruitment

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any Poseidon pilots have been recruited from civilian populations with a civilian airline licences.

James Heappey: Information to answer this question is not held centrally. I will write to the right hon. member as soon as the information is available.

Military Aircraft: Training

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average cost was to train a (a) typhoon, (b) Atlas C.1, (c) Poseidon, (d) Reaper and (e) Chinook pilot in the latest period for which data is available.

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average time taken was to train a (a) typhoon, (b) Atlas C.1, (c) Poseidon, (d) Reaper and (e) Chinook pilot in the latest period for which data is available.

James Heappey: Information to answer this question is not held centrally. I will write to the right hon. member as soon as the information is available.

Defence: Procurement

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to Answer of 27 September to Question 51435, if he will provide a breakdown of (a) direct and (b) indirect procurement spend to SMEs.

Alec Shelbrooke: The published estimates for financial year 2020-21, the latest year for which figures are available, indicate that £0.95 billion or 4.9% of Ministry of Defence's total procurement spend went directly to SMEs; and £3.5 billion or 18.1% of MOD's total procurement spend went indirectly to SMEs. These figures are updated annually and can be found on gov.uk Central Government spend with SMEs - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Armed Forces: Training

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether decision body members are required to undergo unconscious bias training.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many decision body members are required to undergo unconscious bias training.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether appeal body members are required to undergo unconscious bias training.

Sarah Atherton: In 2020, the Government Equalities Office commissioned the Behavioural Insights Team for a summary of the evidence on unconscious bias (UB) and diversity training. In light of its findings, Ministers concluded that UB training does not achieve its intended aims. In 2021, UB training was phased out in the Civil Service and the Armed Forces. There is no requirement for Service Complaints’ decision and appeal body members to undertake UB training. To ensure we continue to build fairer and more effective workplaces the Diversity and Inclusion 2020 course has been replaced by Inclusion in the Civil Service. The Inclusion in the Civil Service course comprises of four modules (Equality, diversity and inclusion in the Civil Service; Our inclusive workplace; Our customers; and the legal framework) and has had the UB training elements removed. Completion of this course is a mandatory annual requirement for all civilians in the Ministry of Defence, and for military line managers of civilians. All Defence personnel (civilian and military) complete mandatory annual diversity and inclusion training courses. In addition, a new Active Bystander course has been rolled-out to equip personnel with the skills to effectively challenge unacceptable behaviour.

Ministry of Defence: Railways

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department spent on first class train travel for (a) ministers and (b) civil servants in (i) 2020, (i) 2021 and (iii) 2022.

Sarah Atherton: This information is not centrally held and can be provided only at disproportionate cost. Recorded costs are allocated against the unit within the civil service which booked and paid for travel, which is not necessarily the individual who travelled.

Armed Forces: Bullying and Harassment

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many complaints of bullying, harassment or discrimination in the Armed Forces in each of the last five years.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many complaints of (a) bullying, (b) harassment or (c) discrimination by Armed Forces personnel were upheld in each of the last five years.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many complaints of (a) bullying, (b) harassment or (c) discrimination by Armed Forces personnel were dismissed in each of the last five years.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many complaints of (a) bullying, (b) harassment or (c) discrimination by Armed Forces personnel were appealed in each of the last five years.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many complaints from Armed Forces personnel took more than (a) three months (b) six months and (c ) 12 months to resolve in each of the last five years.

Sarah Atherton: Unacceptable behaviour, which includes bullying, harassment, and discrimination, is not tolerated in Defence. Those who fail to meet our values and standards will be dealt with appropriately, which includes the use of administrative, disciplinary, or misconduct action. Formal complaints of bullying, harassment or discrimination are dealt with via the Service Complaints process. The requested information is published in the Service Complaints Ombudsman’s Annual Reports, available at the following link: https://www.scoaf.org.uk/annual-reports

Armed Forces: Discharges

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent estimate he has made of the number of applications that have been (a) received and (b) granted under the scheme allowing former armed forces personnel discharged over sexuality to apply to have service medals restored.

Sarah Atherton: Diversity and Inclusion continues to be a priority for Defence and, while we have made encouraging progress, we still have further to go to achieve the essential cultural change necessary to ensure that we are as open, tolerant, fair, and equal as all high-performing organisations need to be. LGBT+ personnel have made, and continue to make, significant contributions to the Armed Forces. It is deeply regrettable that, because of their sexuality, some members of the Armed Forces were, in the past, treated in a way that would not be acceptable today. Since the policy announcement on the restoration of medals in February 2021, the MOD has received seven applications for the restoration of medals. A disregard for any previous conviction is a pre-condition for the restoration of an honour or medal and one veteran, who had obtained a disregard for a previous conviction, has had their medals returned. The other cases remain under review in light of the introduction of the recent Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and potential implications for convictions for which disregards are available.

Armed Forces: Prosecutions

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made on agreeing a protocol for the prosecution of serious crimes in the service justice system where there is concurrent jurisdiction.

Sarah Atherton: The Ministry of Defence is confident that the Service Justice System is capable of dealing with all offences whatever their seriousness and wherever they occur. Therefore, after further and full consideration of the recommendation made by HH Shaun Lyons in the Service Justice System Review on the jurisdiction for murder, manslaughter and rape offences in the UK, the Secretary of State concluded that the existing principle of full concurrency between the service and civilian jurisdictions should be maintained. Commencement regulations were made earlier this year, bringing section 7 of the Armed Forces Act 2021 into force in full in England and Wales from 1 May 2022, which allows the independent Service and civilian prosecutors to agree a protocol on handling cases where there is concurrent jurisdiction. Decisions on which jurisdiction should deal with criminal offending by Service personnel will continue to be made by the relevant policing and prosecutorial authorities on a case-by-case basis. Where the prosecutors are unable to resolve a disagreement over handling, the civilian prosecutors will have the final say. The Director of Service Prosecutions and the civilian prosecutors are currently working on a draft protocol, with consultation to launch shortly after this has been agreed.

Service Police Complaints Commissioner: Public Appointments

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made on the appointment of a Service Police Complaints Commissioner.

Alec Shelbrooke: The position of the Service Police Complaints Commissioner (SPCC) is a Crown appointment made on the recommendation of the Secretary of State for Defence. The Ministry of Defence has run a recruitment campaign and we anticipate that the successful candidate will be appointed shortly. The new SPCC will be responsible for oversight of the new complaints regime, and in particular will carry out investigations into the most serious allegations against the Service Police. The new regime will be modelled on the regime for the civilian police in England and Wales; as such, the Commissioner will have functions similar to those conferred on the Director General of the Independent Office for Police Conduct. The SPCC will undertake the necessary preparatory work for the new complaints regime to come into force in the second quarter of 2023.

Defence Serious Crime Unit

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects the Defence Serious Crime Unit to be operational.

Sarah Atherton: The establishment of the Defence Serious Crime Command and Unit (DSCC/U) under a newly appointed Provost Marshal will strengthen the operational effectiveness of the Service Police to deal with serious offences reported in Defence. This is a key measure in meeting our commitment to further strengthen the Service Justice System. The DSCC/U will reach full operational capability in December 2022 and will continue to build throughout 2023. The DSCC/U will be tri-Service, strengthening our ability to respond to serious crime wherever Defence has a presence. The DSCC/U will combine resources and specialist skills from across the single Services under one single unit, building an independent, stronger, more effective and collaborative approach to policing, enhancing capability whilst further supporting victims.

Armed Forces Compensation Scheme

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what process his Department uses to reconsider an application to the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme after it has been rejected.

Sarah Atherton: The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) reconsideration process is treated under Article 53 of the AFCS legislation.If a claimant disagrees with the decision made on their AFCS claim they have 12 months to request a reconsideration from the date they are notified of the decision. The claimant may produce further evidence to support their reconsideration. The claim and additional evidence will then be considered by a different caseworker and the outcome will be notified to the claimant. If they remain unsatisfied with the outcome of the reconsideration, the claimant has a further 12-month period to ask for an appeal. Appeals are heard by an independent tribunal, which deals solely with Armed Forces compensation cases and consists of a legally qualified Chair, a medical member and an ex-Service member. In England and Wales, appeals are heard by the War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal, and in the respective Pensions Appeals Tribunals in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Armed Forces: Qualifications

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what (a) qualifications are available to Armed Forces personnel that are recognised outside the services, (b) proportion of personnel leave the Forces with one or more such qualifications and (c) assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing that proportion.

Sarah Atherton: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises the value of a skilled, sustainable, capable workforce, trained and equipped to defend the nation’s interests. To achieve this, Defence policy directs that, where possible, all mandatory military training and education is accredited and leads towards a full or partial nationally recognised qualification. Due to the niche content of some Defence courses, it is recognised that an externally recognised qualification may not always be possible. In such cases, individuals may ‘top up’ their learning enabling them to achieve a full qualification through a combination of accreditation and additional learning Over 600 nationally recognised qualifications are delivered to Service Personnel across the single services from level 1 to level 8 on the regulated qualifications framework. Qualifications cover a wide range of subject areas including aviation, engineering, IT, leadership, and medical. Further opportunities for obtaining qualifications in service are available the single services and the MOD’s elective education schemes. The largest area for qualification attainment is the Armed Forces Apprenticeship Programme. Over 95% of all non-commissioned recruits commence an apprenticeship as part of their trade training, with over 20,000 Service personnel on an apprenticeship at any one time. Where an apprenticeship is not available an alternative appropriate nationally recognised qualification is offered. As part of their programme, all recruits will achieve at least L1 Maths and English Functional Skills, with higher levels required for promotion. The MOD has recently undertaken a Defence wide accreditation review, which highlights the MOD’s commitment to lifelong learning of its Service Personnel. It is envisaged that findings and recommendations from the review will further improve the accreditation and qualification offer across Defence.

Missiles: Contracts

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Government has established a contract to re-stock NLAW anti-tank missiles.

Alec Shelbrooke: I can assure the right hon. Member that we continue to equip Ukraine with vital supplies, such as NLAWs. We are replacing equipment and munitions from UK stocks and are on schedule to place contracts to replenish NLAW stocks.

Maritime Patrol Aircraft: Weapons

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which weapon systems will be fitted to the P-8 fleet; and whether these systems will be paid for in US dollars.

Alec Shelbrooke: The weapon system in service with the Poseidon MRA Mk1 is the Mk54 Light Weight Torpedo, which was procured within the wider Foreign Military Sales Government to Government procurement agreement for Poseidon. Work is currently underway to determine any change of weapon system in future; until a decision has been made on weapon selection, it is not possible to state whether it will be paid for in US dollars or another currency.

Ministry of Defence: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the transparency data published by his Department entitled MOD: spending over £500 on a GPC for January to December 2022, updated on 18 July 2022, for what reason his Department spent (a) £1,367,833.28 under the merchant description Schools - Default and (b) £18,211.88 under the merchant description Elementary/Secondary School; which five schools received the highest share of that expenditure; and whether that expenditure was separate to any payments made by his Department under the Continuity of Education Allowance scheme.

Alec Shelbrooke: Government Procurement Card (GPC) expenditure in respect of the merchant description 'Elementary/Secondary School' for 2022 reported under published MOD transparency data to date totals £18,211.88. It is assumed that, consistent with the other 10 questions tabled at the same time, this question relates to Jan - May 2022 (the sum of £1,367,833.28 in the question is not recognised).None of the eight transactions that make up the £18,211.88 relate to schools as such (although it includes payments to Glasgow University and Fife College) but instead relate to training courses, community engagement/recruitment at universities and educational support to overseas military personnel. None of them relate to the Continuity of Education Allowance scheme which is dealt with through payroll and not GPC.

A400M Aircraft: Costs

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the cost per flying hour of an A400M aircraft.

Alec Shelbrooke: I am withholding the information requested as its release would prejudice commercial interests.

Department for Work and Pensions

Children: Maintenance

Sarah Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to help minimise the financial impact of a failure to pay child maintenance on the receiving parent.

Claire Coutinho: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Social Security Benefits: Newcastle upon Tyne

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of benefit sanctions in Newcastle.

Victoria Prentis: No assessment has been made. Sanctions statistics for those people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Employment Support Allowance (ESA), Income Support (IS) and Universal Credit (UC) are published quarterly. Monthly figures are available for JSA from April 2000 to April 2022, ESA from October 2008 to April 2022 and IS from October 2016 to April 2022, with UC sanction rates available from April 2019 to May 2022. All of these statistics are available by local authority at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/ Guidance for users is available at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

Poverty: Children

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the report by the North East Child Poverty Commission entitled Getting the building blocks wrong: Early childhood poverty in the North East, published in September 2022, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the conclusions on the impact of levels of social security payments on people in the North East.

Victoria Prentis: Income-related benefit rates are not made up of separate amounts for specific items of expenditure such as food or fuel charges, and beneficiaries are free to spend their benefit as they see fit, in the light of their individual commitments, needs and preferences. However, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is required by law to undertake an annual review of State pensions and benefits. The outcome of that review will be announced later this year, and the new rates will enter into force from 10 April 2023.

Food Banks: Newcastle upon Tyne

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the cost of living crisis on the use of foodbanks by benefits recipients in the Newcastle.

Victoria Prentis: Foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations and the Department for Work and Pensions does not have any role in their operation. There is no consistent and accurate measure of food bank usage at a constituency or national level. We understand the data limitations in this area, and thus from April 2021 we introduced a set of questions into the Family Resources Survey (FRS) to measure and track food bank usage. The first results of these questions are due to be published in March 2023 subject to usual quality assurance. These questions will allow us to gauge where people in low food security are seeking help and over time will allow us to build a time series on the scale of food bank usage. This Government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and has announced unprecedented support within its Growth Plan to protect households and businesses from high energy prices. The Energy Price Guarantee and the Energy Bill Relief Scheme are supporting millions of households and businesses with rising energy costs, and the Chancellor made clear they will continue to do so from now until April next year. This is in addition to over £37bn of cost-of-living support announced earlier this year.Included within this £37bn is an additional £500 million to help households with the cost of essentials, on top of what we have already provided since October 2021, bringing total funding for this support to £1.5 billion. In England this will take the form of an extension to the Household Support Fund backed by £421m, running from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023. We will publish new guidance for Local Authorities for this latest extension shortly. The Devolved administrations will receive £79 million through the Barnett formula

Household Support Fund

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many local authorities have contacted her department since 1 April 2022 to request additional funding from the Household Support Fund.

Victoria Prentis: The Household Support Fund has allocated funding totalling over £1.2bn to the 152 Upper Tier Local Authorities in England.  Since 1 April 2022, two Local Authorities have formally written to the Department requesting additional funding from the Household Support Fund.

Social Security Benefits: Uprating

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to immediately increase benefits in line with the September 2022 CPI inflation rate when it is announced on 19 October 2022; and if he will make a statement.

Victoria Prentis: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has a statutory duty to annually review benefits and State Pensions as outlined in the Social Security Administration Act 1992. Her review will be conducted based on the earnings growth figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on 11 October and the CPI figure for the year to September published by the ONS on the 19 October. Any new benefit and State Pensions rates will come into force in the 2023/24 tax year.

Access to Work Programme

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of working with external organisations to help address delays to the Access to Work scheme.

Claire Coutinho: Access to Work is continuing to work closely with a wide range of stakeholder groups, including through attendance at the Access to Work Stakeholder Forums in England, Scotland and Wales and engagement with individual stakeholder groups. Through this engagement, we are continuing to provide regular updates on current service levels, recruitment and other activities aimed at improving the customer journey, as well as seeking and responding to feedback from representatives about the current service and planned improvements.

Working Tax Credit: Cost of Living Payments

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will take steps to ensure that people on working tax credits receive their cost of living payment within the same timescales as those not receiving working tax credits.

Victoria Prentis: People on working tax credits are often in receipt of other means-tested benefits. HMRC issue payments to people on working tax credits after the other payments have been made, to allow time to ensure those who claim tax credits as well as a means tested benefit do not receive the payment twice. This decreases the risk of overpayments to tax credits customers.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Reindeer: Animal Welfare

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure the welfare of reindeer being used at seasonal events during winter 2022-23.

Scott Mann: The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 (the 2018 Regulations) require that anyone in the business of keeping or training animals for exhibition needs a valid licence from their local authority, including reindeer used at seasonal events. Licencees must meet strict statutory minimum welfare standards which are enforced by local authorities who have powers to issue, refuse or revoke licences. The 2018 Regulations are accompanied by statutory guidance notes developed to help local authorities enforce the licensing regime. The guidance notes for keeping or training animals for exhibition can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/animal-activities-licensing-guidance-for-local-authorities/keeping-or-training-animals-for-exhibition-licensing-statutory-guidance-for-local-authorities The keeping of dangerous wild animals is also regulated by the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976. The Act requires owners of dangerous wild animals, as listed in the Act, to be licensed by their Local Authority. A reindeer (with the exception of a domestic reindeer) is classified by the act as a dangerous wild animal. The aim of the Act is to ensure that where private individuals keep dangerous wild animals, they do so in circumstances that create no risk to the public. A local authority may only grant a licence if it is satisfied that it would not be contrary to public interest on the grounds of safety or nuisance; that the applicant is a suitable person; and the animal's accommodation is adequate and secure. If anyone has any concerns about the welfare of a reindeer that is being exhibited, they should report the matter to the relevant local authority who have powers to investigate.

Animal Sentience Committee: Public Appointments

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he expects the membership appointment process for the Animal Sentience Committee to be completed.

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the budget of the Animal Sentience Committee.

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the devolved administrations on the appointment of committee members to the Animal Sentience Committee.

Scott Mann: Michael Seals CBE has been appointed as the first-ever Chair of the new Animal Sentience Committee. Recruitment for members to the Committee is ongoing.The Animal Sentience Committee's budget is met from existing Defra funding.The Committee's remit is to consider whether, or to what extent, HM Government is having, or has had, all due regard to the ways in which the policy might have an adverse effect on the welfare of animals as sentient beings. This includes policy of HM Government of the United Kingdom but does not include policy falling within devolved competence. Committee members are appointed by the Secretary of State. Defra officials work closely with counterparts in the Devolved Administrations on animal welfare matters and provide updates on the Committee as appropriate.

Food: Japan

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he expects by 24 October 2022 to complete the process of awarding protected geographical indication status to the 39 Japanese food and drink products on which his Department conducted consultation between 21 December 2021 and 21 February 2022.

Scott Mann: As part of the Japan-United Kingdom Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), Japan and the United Kingdom agreed to consider the protection of a significant further number of each other’s geographical indications (GIs). Both parties need to satisfactorily complete their own processes before confirming that the products are eligible for registration as GIs within their scheme. These processes are running concurrently. The intention is to protect the first tranche of Japanese GIs in Great Britain and British GIs in Japan on the same date once these processes are complete. In addition to having examined Japan’s GIs, the United Kingdom has been supporting Japan to process the British GIs as quickly as possible. We look forward to the completion of this process and are prepared to jointly announce the protection of the first tranche of GIs. However, we cannot confirm that the announcement will be made by 24th October 2022.

Home Office

Undocumented Migrants: Children

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how old each the 116 unaccompanied migrant children missing from Home Office funded hotels are; and for how long each of those children (a) were housed in hotels before they went missing and (b) have been missing.

Tom Pursglove: The UK is experiencing an unprecedented increase in the number of people making life-threatening journeys to cross the Channel. These boats are often carrying unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) and this has placed unprecedented pressure on the National Transfer Scheme. Out of necessity and with the children’s best interests in mind, we have arranged for them to be accommodated on an emergency and temporary basis in hotels whilst placements with local authorities are being vigorously pursued. We have safeguarding procedures in place to ensure all unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in emergency interim hotels are as safe and supported as possible, whilst we seek urgent placements with a local authority. Young people are supported by team leaders and support workers who are on site 24 hours a day. Further care is provided in hotels by teams of social workers and nurses. The Home Office has no power to hold children in hotels or any temporary accommodation if they wish to leave. To minimise the risk of a child going missing, records of children leaving and returning to the hotel are kept and monitored. Support workers accompany children off site on activities and social excursions, or where specific vulnerabilities are identified. Any child going missing is extremely serious, and we work with the police and local authorities to seek to urgently locate them and ensure they are safe. Since July 2021 to 19 October this year, there have been 391 missing episodes of young people from the Home Office UASC Hotels (the term missing episodes is used as the same young person may go missing on more than one occasion). As of 19 October, 222 young people are missing - please see table below. Please note that the data is taken from a live information database and therefore is subject to change as that system is updated.  Age When Went MissingNo Of Days Accommodated in Hotels for Before They Went Missing No of Days They Have Been Missing For  (as of 19.10.22) 177339 170333 159331 174330 169272 171234 170231 171212 161210 171185 171185 160186 170186 171185 171185 174181 163181 170170 171169 170169 170165 162155 170153 175151 172147 175144 171139 160138 175136 162121 165120 176118 174116 171113 174109 155107 1717107 171105 172100 17197 17197 17197 17095 17192 17192 15391 17589 17190 15086 16185 17884 161082 16180 16180 17078 17278 17277 17476 16276 17276 17376 17176 16176 17274 16372 17271 17571 16271 16271 17369 16669 15570 17368 15368 17266 17166 161066 16265 16164 17264 17264 17364 17163 17363 17063 17362 17159 171560 17160 16160 171560 16458 17458 17457 171857 17156 15056 17156 17056 17056 17155 17355 17355 17255 17955 172155 17255 16354 17254 17254 17254 17753 17153 17353 16353 16353 17252 17252 17352 17352 17452 17152 17252 17352 161052 17153 15451 15451 16451 16251 16351 16650 17350 17350 17350 17348 17348 171548 171548 16348 17045 17545

Home Office: Complaints

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 October 2022 to Question 54609 on Home Office: Complaints, whether other parts of the Home Office share complaint reference numbers with complainants.

Tom Pursglove: Within the Home Office, UK Visas and Immigration, Border Force and Detention Services routinely provide a complaint reference number as part of any written response.

Psilocybin

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will discuss the reclassification of psilocybin from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs.

Jeremy Quin: The Government has no plans to commission the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to assess the classification of Psilocybin.Psilocybin, as an “ester of psilocin”, is controlled as a Class A drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (the 1971 Act) and is placed in Schedule 1 to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001.Psilocin is also subject to the United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971, to which the United Kingdom is signatory.

Drugs: Misuse

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to implement the advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs on reducing barriers to research on controlled substances.

Jeremy Quin: The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) published its report titled: Considerations of barriers to research Part 1: Synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRA) on 30th July 2021. This report can be found here:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1008195/Barriers_to_research_using_SCRAs_-_Report.pdfThe Government will respond to the recommendations in due course. The ACMD is progressing a further stage of its consideration of Barriers to Research and the Government welcomes their attention to this important area of drug policy.

International Criminal Court: Ukraine

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department’s announcement of support for the International Criminal Court investigation into alleged war crimes in Ukraine on 6 June 2022, (a) when the dedicated Metropolitan Police officer deployed in support of that investigation commenced their work, and (b) what were their operational duties prior to that deployment.

Jeremy Quin: The officer was deployed to the ICC on 06/09/2022 in support of ICC investigations with a focus on Ukraine. Prior to the deployment, the officer worked as a liaison officer with a specific focus on European policing and policing relationships.

Police

Simon Lightwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of visibility of police officers in their communities.

Jeremy Quin: Decisions about the deployment of police officers is an operational matter for Chief Constables.The Beating Crime Plan sets out our expectations of police forces to tackle crime, including our approach for achieving greater visibility in community policing. The public should be able to contact their local police, know their names and how to reach them. The Government is clear that we expect police to be visible in their neighbourhood, confronting crime and making streets safer.We are continuing work to increase the number of police officers in England and Wales. As at 30 June 2022, 13,790 additional officers have been recruited in England and Wales through the Police Uplift Programme. This is 69% of the target of 20,000 additional officers by March 2023.

Members: Correspondence

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average amount of time an MP inquiring on behalf of their constituent has had to wait for a response from her Department in each of the last six months.

Jeremy Quin: Data about intake and performance in answering Hon. Members correspondence are published quarterly with the latest Quarter available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/customer-service-operations-data-q2-2022

Overseas Students

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to restrict the number of international students in the UK university sector.

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of introducing a cap on the number of children that international students can bring to the UK on (a) the number of international students studying in the UK, (b) the UK economy and (c) women.

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessments she has made of the potential effect of restricting the number of international students and their dependants on in UK universities on (a) tuition fee income for universities, (b) living cost expenditure received by universities and local communities and (c) knock-on expenditure in universities and local communities.

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department remains committed to the graduate visa route introduced in 2021.

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of capping the number of graduate visas on the UK’s economy.

Tom Pursglove: Our offer to international students is extremely competitive and ensures that we continue to attract the best and brightest students from around the world.The Government’s International Education Strategy set out a target of attracting 600,000 international Higher Education students to the UK by 2030, which we have achieved almost a decade early. The public also rightly expects us to control immigration and ensure we have a system that works in the UK’s best interests. As the Growth Plan set out, the Government is looking at how immigration contributes to growth and will set out further details in due course.

Members: Correspondence

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department intends to reply to correspondence of 22 September 2022 from the hon. Member for Walthamstow, case reference ZA71274.

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department intends to reply to the correspondence of 26 September 2022 from the hon. Member for Walthamstow, case reference ZA71312.

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department intends to reply to correspondence of 10 October 2022 from the hon. Member for Walthamstow, case reference ZA71953.

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department intends to reply to the correspondence of 29 April 2022 from the hon. Member for Walthamstow, case reference ZA67781.

Tom Pursglove: I apologise for the delay.PQ 65741 – The Home Office, UK Visas and Immigration, MP Account Management (MPAM) team and Direct Communications Unit (DCU) have no trace of this enquiry.PQ 65742 – MPAM reference – MPAM/0441402/22 – The Home Office responded to the correspondence on 19 October 2022.PQ 65743 – The Home Office, UK Visas and Immigration, MP Account Management (MPAM) team and Direct Communications Unit (DCU) have no trace of this enquiry.PQ 65744 – MPAM reference – MPAM/0297450/22 – The Home Office responded to the correspondence on 17 May 2022 at an MP Engagement event.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Capital Investment

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment of the potential risk of (a) money laundering, (b) tax fraud and (c) other illicit financial activities operating in proposed Investment Zones.

Lee Rowley: The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Capital Investment

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential growth that may be generated by Investment Zones in the UK, at the earliest available opportunity after bids have been received.

Lee Rowley: The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Capital Investment

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department has made of the potential growth that may be generated by the establishment of Investment Zones in the UK.

Lee Rowley: The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Capital Investment

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department has made of the average potential cost of establishing each Investment Zone in the UK.

Lee Rowley: The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Housing: Hertsmere

Oliver Dowden: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of building housing on the site proposed for the Radlett Rail Freight Interchange in Hertsmere constituency.

Lee Rowley: Because of the Secretary of State’s quasi-judicial role in the planning system, I cannot comment about the merits of particular plans or development proposals. It is for the local planning authority to consider the merits of any proposed development and any planning decision should be determined in accordance with the local development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. This would typically include an assessment of the site context and policies referred to in the National Planning Policy Framework, such as Green Belt, Local Green Spaces and other relevant designations.

Pension Credit: Cost of Living

Mr Richard Holden: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether people in receipt of Pension Credit are entitled to the full £150 council tax rebate to help with energy costs in every part of the UK.

Paul Scully: Most households in Council Tax bands A to D qualify for the core council tax energy rebate of £150, if they are occupied as a sole or main residence on 1 April 2022. Eligibility for the scheme is not dependent on a household’s qualification for benefits. Alongside the core council tax rebate, local councils have been provided with £144 million of discretionary funding to support any household suffering financial hardship as a result of rising energy bills. Local councils are responsible for determining who is eligible and for making payments under their discretionary fund.

Buildings: Insulation

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many (a) buildings (a) above and (b) below 18 metres with (i) unsafe ACM cladding (ii) unsafe cladding of a different type and (iii) other fire safety defects are awaiting remedial work.

Paul Scully: Information and data on the remediation progress of high-rise (over 18 metres) residential and publicly-owned buildings with unsafe Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding systems is available in the Building Safety Programme data release on gov.uk at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/aluminium-composite-material-cladding#acm-remediation-data.For high-rise residential buildings with unsafe non-ACM cladding, the Department is continuing to work with building owners to progress applications for the Building Safety Fund at pace so more remedial works can begin as swiftly as possible. Information on registrations to the Building Safety Fund and the remediation progress of buildings proceeding to application can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/remediation-of-non-acm-buildings#building-safety-fund-registrations-private-sector-and-social-sector.We have also estimated the number of mid-rise residential buildings (11-18 metres in height) requiring remediation, partial remediation or mitigation to alleviate external wall system life-safety fire risk. Information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/estimating-the-prevalence-and-costs-of-external-wall-system-life-safety-fire-risk-in-mid-rise-residential-buildings-in-england. For mid-rise residential buildings we are establishing a Mid-Rise Remediation Scheme to fund the remediation of unsafe cladding. We will announce further detail on the launch of this scheme in due course.No estimate has been made for buildings with defects other than unsafe cladding or for residential buildings under 11 metres in height.

Homes for Ukraine Scheme: Homelessness

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many beneficiaries of the Homes for Ukraine scheme have presented to their local authorities as homeless as of 14 October 2022.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what estimate his Department has made of the number of Ukrainian refugees with Ukraine Family Scheme visas who have become homeless since arriving in the UK.

Andrew Stephenson: Homelessness management information pertaining to Ukrainian nationals in England is updated on gov.uk every 4 weeks. The most recent update includes data up to 23 September 2022. A total of 1,915 Ukrainian households have been owed a homelessness prevention or relief duty, based on a response rate of 71% of local authorities. Of this figure, 850 households arrived under the Ukraine Family Scheme and 955 households via the Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme. Further information can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/homelessness-management-information-ukrainian-nationals-england.

Levelling Up Fund

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he will publish the second round of successful bids from local authorities to the Levelling-up Fund.

Dehenna Davison: Levelling up and driving growth across the UK is a key priority of this Government.All bids submitted in the second round of the Levelling Up Fund are currently being assessed in line with our published guidance. I expect the Government to announce the outcome of the second round of the Fund before the end of the year.

Retail Trade: Rents

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of trends in the level of rental costs on the high street.

Dehenna Davison: The Department does not hold data on trends concerning rental costs on the high street but continues to monitor market research into rental rates.

Scotland Office

North Sea Oil: Tax Yields

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what the forecasted geographic share of North Sea Revenue for Scotland is in the next ten financial years from 2023-24.

Mr Alister Jack: The production forecasts produced by the North Sea Transition Authority are for the whole of the UK continental shelf up to 2050; forecasts are not produced for each individual constituent part of the UK. Historical trends show that the share in Scotland’s geographical waters averages around 80% and the UK Government expects this trend to continue over the next ten financial years.

Cabinet Office

Chequers

Ruth Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many times the Prime Minister has visited Chequers since her appointment as Prime Minister.

Chris Philp: I refer the hon. Member to the answer of UIN 54005, 18 October 2021 [of session 2021 - 2022].

Chequers

Ruth Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on which date the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip made his last visit to Chequers.

Chris Philp: I refer the hon. Member to the answer of UIN 54005, 18 October 2021 [of session 2021 - 2022].

Cabinet Office: Bullying and Discrimination

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether any employees of his Department have been blocked from promotion on account of being red-flagged as a result of making a complaint about (a) bullying or (b) discrimination.

Chris Philp: The Cabinet Office does not red-flag employees who raise complaints about a) bullying or b) discrimination.The Cabinet Office complies with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles with recruitment being merit based on the basis of fair and open competition. A copy of the Civil Service Recruitment Principles can be found at https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/recruitment-principles/.Complaints relating to bullying or discrimination are treated as confidential in accordance with departmental policies; as such, the hiring manager would not be aware of candidates raising complaints.

Food: Newport West

Ruth Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent estimate he has made of the average annual grocery bill for residents in Newport West constituency.

Chris Philp: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.A response to the Hon. Member's Parliamentary Question of 12 October is attached. Annual grocery bills (pdf, 122.2KB)

Mark Fullbrook

Nick Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 11 October 2022 to Question 55048, if Mark Fullbrook was (a) on secondment from and (b) paid through Fullbrook Strategies at the time of his appointment; and whether he was subject to the checks and vetting the Cabinet Office guidance requires of Government officials.

Chris Philp: Mr Fullbrook has a standard Special Adviser employment contract which covers his entire appointment as Chief of Staff. While a secondment was initially discussed, it was decided to instead employ Mr Fullbrook directly and a secondment agreement was never put in place.The Model Contract for Special Advisers, which sets out the terms of employment for special advisers, is available on GOV.UK. Together, with the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers and the Civil Service Code, this constitutes a special adviser’s contract of employment with the Crown.All civil servants, whether on secondment or directly employed, are subject to the necessary checks and vetting, as was Mr Fullbrook.

Cabinet Office: Ministerial Responsibility

Angela Rayner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what responsibility he holds for cross-government work on supply chains; whether the Government has retained the position of Supply Chains Adviser; whether the Supply Chains Unit remains in his Department; and what steps is the Government taking to promote resilience of UK supply chains.

Chris Philp: The resilience of UK supply chains remains a key priority for the Government. The Cabinet Office oversees and coordinates this cross-government work.The functions and expertise that were drawn together in the Supply Chains Unit now form part of the Resilience Directorate within the Economic and Domestic Secretariat, which is taking forward the Government’s wider programme of work to drive resilience. The Directorate engages with departments, industry and the resilience community to assess risks and address vulnerabilities. The Energy Bill Relief Scheme is a recent example of a measure enacted by the Government to protect UK businesses, including those involved in supply chains, from unprecedented increases in global energy costs.As announced in October 2021, Sir Dave Lewis was appointed as the Prime Minister's Supply Chains Advisor on a temporary basis until the end of 2021.

Integrated Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy Review

Stewart Malcolm McDonald: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 21 September 2022 to Question 48400 on the Integrated Review, if he will publish a timetable for the update to the Integrated Review.

Chris Philp: The Prime Minister has committed to producing a ‘refresh’ of the 2021 Integrated Review by the end of the year to ensure that the UK’s security, defence, development and foreign policy architecture is keeping pace with the evolving international environment.

Cabinet Office: Ministerial Responsibility

Angela Rayner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to Statement HCWS311 on Machinery of Government, what responsibility is now held by his Department for oversight of transition period activity and the UK's future relations with the EU; and what civil service functions will be transferred between departments.

Chris Philp: The Cabinet Secretariat in the Cabinet Office exists to support the Prime Minister and the chairs of Cabinet committees in ensuring that government business is conducted in an effective and timely way and that proper collective consideration takes place. This includes issues related to post-transition period activity and the UK’s relationship with the EU.The Brexit Opportunities Unit moved from the Cabinet Office to sit under the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 11 October. This will bring together work to tackle EU red tape, seize post-Brexit opportunities and efforts to ensure the regulatory and business environment enables the UK to attract investment and boost growth.

Emergencies

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he intends to publish updated guidance for local resilience forums on the emergency alert system.

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish guidance on potential scenarios that will trigger the emergency alert system.

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure people not able to access the Emergency Alert System are made aware of severe life-threatening events.

Chris Philp: The Emergency Alerts capability is expected to be trialed nationally later this year with a focus over the winter on extreme weather related events. Subject to the outcome of an evaluation in the spring, its scope will likely be widened to other use cases. There will always be a very high threshold for issuing an alert based on strict criteria centered on an immediate threat to life and the applicability of the capability to the event in hand, rather than a scenario driven approach.The launch will be preceded by a public information campaign culminating in a national welcome message - a simultaneous test message sent to all compatible mobile phones across the United Kingdom. This approach has been found elsewhere to maximise awareness and understanding on how recipients should react on receiving alerts.Prior to launch, the Cabinet Office will also brief Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) on the system and its purpose. Guidance and other information will be published on Resilience Direct - an online platform for emergency responders managed by the Cabinet Office which LRFs can access.The Emergency Alerts capability will complement rather than supersede other tools available to responders to communicate with the public in emergency situations. Those unable to be notified by this new capability will therefore be alerted by other existing mechanisms, for example, by text or phone messages, social and broadcast media.

Cabinet Office: Ministerial Responsibility

Angela Rayner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what responsibilities his Department holds relating to international trade following the appointment of a Minister of State jointly in the Department for International Trade and the Cabinet Office on 2 October 2022.

Chris Philp: My noble friend, Lord Johnson of Lainston, is a Minister of State jointly in the Department for International Trade and the Cabinet Office. This reflects his responsibilities for the Office for Investment.The Cabinet Secretariat continues to support the Prime Minister and the chairs of Cabinet committees in the conduct of government business, including international trade.

Treasury

Electricity Generation: Investment

Beth Winter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) industry stakeholders on the potential merits of providing relief for investment expenditure by low-carbon electricity generators in the cost-plus revenue limit facility in the Energy Prices Bill that are commensurate with those in the Energy (Oil and Gas) Profits Levy Act 2022.

Felicity Buchan: The Chancellor has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of subjects, including energy policy. Discussions among Cabinet colleagues are considered confidential. No specific conversations have happened between the Chancellor and industry stakeholders on this topic, however Government has been working closely with industry on the detail of the Cost-Plus Revenue Limit, ahead of it coming into force from the start of 2023. The temporary Cost-Plus Revenue Limit should allow generators to cover their operational and remaining capital costs, plus, allow a margin to enable the industry to receive an appropriate revenue above this that reflects their investment commitment and risk. Increasing domestic generating capacity is critical to our security of supply, and the government remains committed to supporting investment into the renewables sector. The next allocation round of the government's flagship Contracts for Difference support scheme for the deployment of new low carbon electricity generation will launch in 2023 as planned.

Electric Vehicles: Taxation

Ben Everitt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had recent discussions with representatives of firms across the vehicle leasing sector on the merits of extending the two per cent benefit-in-kind taxation rates for battery electric cars beyond 2024-25.

Felicity Buchan: HMT recognises the important contribution the company car market makes to electric vehicle (EV) take-up in the UK. The Government has announced CCT rates until April 2025 to give certainty to fleet owners, manufacturers and company car drivers, and aims to announce rates at least two years in advance of the rates coming into effect.

Treasury: Railways

Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much his Department spent on first class train travel for (a) ministers and (b) civil servants in (i) 2020, (i) 2021 and (iii) 2022.

Felicity Buchan: HMT has spent the below totals on first class travel for (a) ministers & (b) civil servants in (i) 2020, (ii) 2021 & (iii) 2022. The figures below only contains first class travel booked through our travel booking portal.  (a) Ministers(b) Civil Servants(i) 2020£0£0(ii) 2021£295£6,570(iii) 2022 (Jan-Sep)£106£3,834

Alcoholic Drinks: Excise Duties

Sarah Olney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference HC Deb 17 October 2022, col 396 on the freeze to alcohol duty rates from February 2023; whether the draught relief will be applied to containers of 20 litres and above.

Felicity Buchan: On 23 September, we published the next steps of the alcohol duty review, including confirming that we are expanding the draught relief so it applies to containers of 20 litres and above.

Economic Advisory Council: Trade Unions

Imran Hussain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he will appoint representatives of trade unions to the Economic Advisory Council.

Andrew Griffith: On 17th October, the Chancellor announced that he would establish an Economic Advisory Council. This will act as a consultative forum for the government to be advised on UK and international economics and financial markets. The Council will consist of leading and respected economists. The Chancellor has announced the initial members to form the council, with further members to be added in due course. All members have been chosen for their personal knowledge and expertise, as relevant to advising the government on the UK economy. Members can be added or removed at the Chancellor’s discretion. The Council members, alongside the role and purpose of the Council, will be reviewed after six months.

Mortgages: Interest Rates

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to help protect people from rises in mortgages rates.

Andrew Griffith: Around 75% of residential mortgage borrowers are on fixed-rate deals and are therefore shielded from interest rate rises in the short term. However, the Government has already taken immediate action to help households through the Energy Price Guarantee and the Energy Bills Support Scheme. This is in addition to the £37 billion of targeted support for the cost of living this financial year. When mortgage borrowers are in financial difficulty and struggling to pay their mortgage, Financial Conduct Authority guidance requires firms to provide support through tailored forbearance options. This could include measures such as a payment holiday, partial payment, or an extension of mortgage term. The Government has also taken a number of measures aimed at helping people to avoid repossession, including Support for Mortgage Interest loans for those in receipt of an income-related benefit, and protection in the courts through the Pre-Action Protocol, which makes it clear that repossession must always be the last resort for lenders.

Mortgages: Interest Rates

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support homeowners in Birmingham with rising mortgage rates.

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate he has made of the mortgage default rate in (a) Birmingham, (b) the West Midlands and (c) the UK.

Andrew Griffith: Mortgage arrears levels remain historically low. According to the latest UK Finance data, there were 74,560 residential mortgages in arrears at the end of June, 10% fewer than in the same period in the previous year. Around 75% of residential mortgage borrowers are on fixed-rate deals and are therefore shielded from interest rate rises in the short term. However, the Government has already taken immediate action to help households, including those in Birmingham, through the Energy Price Guarantee and the Energy Bills Support Scheme. This is in addition to the £37 billion of targeted support for the cost of living this financial year. For mortgage borrowers that do enter financial difficulty and struggle to keep up with payments, Financial Conduct Authority guidance requires firms to provide support through tailored forbearance options. This could include measures such as a payment holiday, partial payment, or an extension of mortgage term. The Government has also taken a number of measures aimed at helping people to avoid repossession, including Support for Mortgage Interest loans for those in receipt of an income-related benefit, and protection in the courts through the Pre-Action Protocol, which makes it clear that repossession must always be the last resort for lenders.

Voluntary Contributions

Alex Sobel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the amount the Government received in voluntary contributions via direct bank transfer to the Treasury in the 2021-22 financial year.

Andrew Griffith: The total amount received from voluntary contributions specifically for the reduction of the national debt is published annually in the annual Report and Accounts of the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt receipts and payments, which can be found on the Debt Management Office’s website. The web link to the publicly available information is provided as follow: https://www.dmo.gov.uk/media/hf5l1t1t/crndrep2022.pdf

Bank Cards: Security

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to require that payment card processing companies cross-reference cardholders' names in addition to existing address verification checks for telephone cardholder not present transactions.

Andrew Griffith: Regarding telephone cardholder not present transactions, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) expects that payment service providers (for example, payment card processing companies) should have procedures and safeguards in place to protect customers from the risk of fraud. Payment service providers are subject to several requirements to combat fraud and financial crime under legislation, including under the Payment Services Regulations 2017, the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information to the payer) Regulations 2017, and the FCA Handbook. Furthermore, in cases of unauthorised payment fraud (i.e., where a cardholder did not authorise a particular payment), the victim is usually able to claim a full refund from their bank. The Government and financial regulators are engaged with industry on whether there is more that can be done to prevent payments fraud, and keep policy under review.

Voluntary Contributions

Alex Sobel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to streamline the process of making voluntary contributions to the Government.

Andrew Griffith: Individuals can make a voluntary contribution to the Government for the purposes of public spending or reducing the National Debt. Individuals can arrange a direct bank transfer to HM Treasury for donations in general towards public expenditure or can make a contribution to the Donations and Bequests account in the form of cash or UK government securities for reducing the National Debt. There are no plans to change the process for making a voluntary contribution, as it is clearly set out in guidelines published by the Debt Management Office.

Fuel Poverty

Richard Foord: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Communities and Local Government on the provision of additional funding for local authorities to provide warm spaces for vulnerable people in winter 2022.

Edward Argar: The 2022-23 Local Government Financial Settlement provides local authorities with an additional £3.7 billion of resources – including the largest cash-terms increase in grant funding in 10 years. It is for local authorities to determine how to allocate this funding. The Government’s Energy Price Guarantee scheme will cap the unit price households pay for electricity and gas, which means that a typical household in Great Britain will have to pay bills equivalent to no more than £2500 a year on their energy bills this winter. In addition, the Government has provided a £650 Cost of Living payment to over 8 million households on means-tested benefits, with additional support for pensioners and those on disability benefits, and a six-month extension to the Household Support Fund in England.

Public Sector: Capital Investment

Owen Thompson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of increased borrowing costs on capital expenditure projects in (a) local government and (b) other public services.

Edward Argar: The government will need to take difficult decisions on both spending and on tax in order to place the public finances on a sustainable footing. We have already reversed a number of tax reforms in order to ensure the country’s economic stability and show our commitment to sound public finances. While no government can eliminate market volatility and its implications for the cost of borrowing, we can give certainty of our plans for the public finances. The government will publish our full Medium-Term Fiscal Plan on 31 October, accompanied by an independent Office for Budget Responsibility economic and fiscal forecast. The Fiscal Plan will set out the government’s responsible fiscal approach fully, including how we will reduce debt as a percentage of GDP over the medium term.

Evusheld: Finance

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on funding for the purchase of Evusheld.

Edward Argar: The Chancellor of the Exchequer has not had any discussions with the Secretary of State for the Department of Health and Social Care on funding for the purchase of Evusheld. HM Treasury will continue to work closely with the Department on any future purchase of Covid-19 treatments.

Hygiene: VAT

Royston Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of removing VAT on personal hygiene products in the context of the rising cost of living.

Richard Fuller: A zero rate of VAT has applied to women’s sanitary products since 1 January 2021. This applies to those products which were previously subject to the reduced rate of 5 per cent, for example, tampons and pads, and to reusable menstrual products, such as keepers. Although there are currently no plans to remove VAT on all personal hygiene products, the Government keeps all taxes under review and welcomes representations to help inform future decisions on tax policy, as part of the tax policy making cycle and Budget process. The Government recognises the pressures that families across the UK are currently facing with the cost of living. The Government’s Energy Price Guarantee will reduce the unit cost of electricity and gas so that a typical household in Great Britain pays, on average, around £2,500 a year on their energy bill, for the next 2 years, from 1 October 2022. The consumer saving will be based on usage, but on average usage a household will save £1,000 a year (based on current prices from October). This comes in addition to the £37 billion cost of living support previously announced, which will provide millions of the most vulnerable households with £800 support through the £150 Council Tax rebate and one-off £650 Cost of Living Payment, with additional support for pensioners and those claiming disability benefits.

Disguised Remuneration Loan Charge Review

Ian Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people seeking refunds due to the changes made by the Morse Review have been refunded by HMRC to date.

Richard Fuller: I refer my hon. Member to the answer that was given to the Question UIN 59171.

Tax Avoidance

Ian Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason HMRC pursues employees complicit in the use of loan schemes and not employers.

Richard Fuller: Where an employee has used a disguised remuneration (DR) scheme, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will go to the employer to settle the tax due in the first instance. Approximately 80 per cent of the £3.4 billion HMRC brought into charge through DR settlements, between March 2016 and the end of March 2022, was from employers. Liability for the tax is always that of the individual and HMRC will consider other options when collection from the employer is not possible, such as when the employer no longer exists or is based offshore. Parliament has provided a range of statutory powers allowing HMRC, in certain circumstances, to collect the amount due from the employee.

Tax Avoidance: Costs

Ian Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much it will cost to staff and administer the Loan Charge, including the cost of legal advice and consultants.

Richard Fuller: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not hold a breakdown of the total amount of costs relating to the Loan Charge. Although HMRC attributes sums to certain specific business areas, it cannot further break down the sums to cost specific tasks undertaken by those business areas. The Loan Charge was introduced in 2016 to tackle disguised remuneration tax avoidance schemes. There are a number of different teams that work on the Loan Charge including policy, delivery, operational, and legal. HMRC will also sometimes resource from outside those teams; for example, HMRC will, when needed, incur costs instructing external bodies such as counsel. To obtain and compile a total cost figure for all costs relating to the Loan Charge since 2016 would therefore come at a disproportionate cost.

Tax Yields

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much tax revenue his Department expects to collect in the next 12 months as a result of the tax cuts announced in the Government's economic proposals on 23September 2022.

Richard Fuller: HM Treasury does not publish forecasts of the economy or the public finances. Forecasts of future receipts are produced by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) as part of their Economic and Fiscal Outlook. The OBR will publish the next economic and fiscal forecast on 31 October. This will assess the fiscal impact of the Chancellor’s medium-term fiscal plan and previously announced measures.

Electricity Generation: Investment

Beth Winter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) industry stakeholders on the potential merits of amending the provision of relief for investment expenditure in the Energy (Oil and Gas) Profits Levy Act 2022 so it is commensurate with the cost-plus revenue limit facility for low-carbon electricity generators under the Energy Prices Bill.

Richard Fuller: The Chancellor has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of subjects, including energy policy. Discussions among Cabinet colleagues are considered confidential. No specific conversations have happened between the Chancellor and industry stakeholders on this topic. The Energy Profits Levy was introduced from 26 May in response to sharp increases in oil and gas prices. It is an additional 25% surcharge on UK oil and gas profits on top of the existing 40% headline rate of tax, taking the combined rate of tax on profits to 65%. It includes a new 80% investment allowance to support capital expenditure on oil related activities purposes. It means the total tax relief on investment nearly doubles - for every £1 businesses invest they will overall get a 91p tax saving.

Fiscal Policy

Ian Paisley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he intends to announce changes to the rates of (a) Income Tax, (b) National Insurance, (c) VAT and (d) excise duties in the (i) Spring Budget 2023 or (ii) Medium-Term Fiscal Plan on 31 October 2022.

Richard Fuller: The Chancellor has announced that the measures in the Growth Plan 2022 to freeze Alcohol Duty and introduce a VAT-free shopping scheme for international tourists will not be taken forward. In addition, the basic rate of Income Tax will remain at 20% indefinitely. The government will set out further reforms to improve fiscal sustainability at the Medium-Term Fiscal Plan on 31 October.

Tax Avoidance: Prosecutions

Drew Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the number of promoters and operators of schemes now subject to the loan charge have been prosecuted for promoting and operating those schemes.

Richard Fuller: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that was given on 3 November 2021 to the Question UIN 62867

Dental Services: VAT

Royston Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of removing VAT on dental care products in the context of the rising cost of living.

Richard Fuller: Under the current VAT rules, dental care products such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, and dental floss, are subject to the standard rate of VAT. However, when specified dental products such as dentures, crowns, and artificial teeth are supplied by a dentist or dental technician, they may be exempt from VAT, meaning no VAT is charged to the final consumer The Government has no plans to change the VAT treatment of dental care products. However, all taxes are kept under constant review and the Government welcomes representations to help inform future decisions on tax policy, as part of the tax policy making cycle and Budget process. The Government recognises the pressures that families across the UK are currently facing with the cost of living. The Government’s Energy Price Guarantee will reduce the unit cost of electricity and gas so that a typical household in Great Britain pays, on average, around £2,500 a year on their energy bill, for the next 2 years, from 1 October 2022. The consumer saving will be based on usage, but on average usage a household will save £1,000 a year (based on current prices from October). This comes in addition to the £37 billion cost of living support previously announced, which will provide millions of the most vulnerable households with £800 support through the £150 Council Tax rebate and one-off £650 Cost of Living Payment, with additional support for pensioners and those claiming disability benefits.

Dental Services: VAT

Royston Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of annual VAT income is derived from dental care products.

Royston Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of total annual VAT income is derived from personal hygiene products.

Richard Fuller: The information is not available. HM Revenue and Customs does not hold information on VAT revenue from specific products or services, including VAT on dental care products or personal hygiene products. This is because businesses are not required to provide figures at a product level within their VAT returns, as this would impose an excessive administrative burden.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Sports: Schools

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to fund the School Games scheme after 31 August 2023.

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when her Department will announce its policy on the future of School Games funding.

Stuart Andrew: Sport and physical activity provide important physical and mental health benefits and also help to develop vital social connections and leadership skills that will set young people up for life.The Government is committed to ensuring that children and young people can be physically active and to increase the chances for children to take part in competitive sport. The School Games form a key part of this.In the academic year 2018/2019, 2.4 million opportunities were provided across inter- and intra-school level through the School Games across the country.The Government confirmed that the School Games Organisers will continue for the 2022/23 academic year and is considering the position beyond that point.

Telecommunications: Infrastructure

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill on the individual property rights of site providers of telecommunications equipment.

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what metrics her Department uses to assess the functioning of the rental payments market within the Electronic Communications Code; and if she will undertake a review of the effectiveness of the functioning of this market.

Gary Sambrook: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has been made of the potential impact of the 2017 Electronic Communications Code on rental payments to telecommunications equipment site providers.

Julia Lopez: The 2017 reforms to the Electronic Communications Code were intended to make it easier for digital communications operators to deploy and maintain their networks. Those changes included the introduction of a statutory valuation regime, which reflected the government’s view that the cost of acquiring rights to install digital infrastructure on private land prior to 2017 was too high and needed to be addressed. The valuation regime introduced in 2017 is more closely aligned to those for utilities such as water and electricity and reflects the fact that access to good quality digital services is an increasingly critical part of daily life for residents across the UK.The Government continues to believe that the framework strikes the correct balance between ensuring individual landowners receive fair payments for allowing their land to be used and encouraging the industry investment needed for consumers across the UK to have access to fast, reliable digital services. Data provided to DCMS shows that so far this year agreements have been reached on 107 new sites, with heads of terms being agreed on a further 66. In relation to existing sites, 533 renewal agreements have been concluded so far this year, with heads of terms agreed on a further 119 sites. The data also shows that there has been a year on year increase in the number of concluded agreements since 2020. We think this reflects informal feedback we have received from all stakeholders suggesting that the market is adapting to the valuation framework.Since the introduction of the reforms in 2017 we have engaged with and listened to stakeholders to understand the impact of the reforms in practice. This has included a formal consultation on further changes to the Code, which led to the provisions in the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill, as well as ongoing (and continuing) engagement with stakeholders throughout the passage of the Bill.In parallel, DCMS officials have convened monthly Access to Land Workshops over the last 12-18 months, which cover a number of workstreams and attract attendance from stakeholders across the telecommunications industry, including site provider representatives. I am pleased to say that these workshops have made excellent progress and one of the outputs of this work is the creation of a new industry body, the National Connectivity Alliance, which in time will continue this work independently of DCMS.Any impacts on the rights of individual property owners have been carefully considered and balanced against the public benefits of improved connectivity. In particular, where measures in the Bill have the potential to be applied retrospectively, the rights of landowners were given careful consideration.The Government does not intend to separately or specifically review the Electronic Communications Code rental payments market. However, the government will continue to carefully monitor the effectiveness of this legislation. For example, officials will continue to engage with stakeholders in the period leading up to the Bill’s implementation and subsequently, to understand how the new provisions are working in practice.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Public Opinion

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 October 2022 to Question 62850 on Public Opinion, in which locations the focus groups delivered by C M Monitor (Britain Thinks) took place.

Julia Lopez: BritainThinks have run focus groups for the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation (CDEI) since 2020 on a range of topics such as algorithmic transparency, AI governance and smart data. The focus groups are one of a range of methodologies used by the CDEI to inform a trustworthy approach to AI and data governance.All focus groups to date have taken place online, initially due to restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We have continued to deliver groups online to enable engagement with diverse groups of participants from all four nations of the UK.To ensure these focus groups are representative across the entire population, we have also ensured a mix of demographics such as age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic background and digital literacy. Participants with the lowest digital familiarity are typically interviewed via telephone.For certain focus groups, we have also recruited participants with relevant experiences. For example, in focus groups held to inform the UK's public sector algorithmic transparency standard, developed by the CDEI alongside the Cabinet Office’s Central Digital and Data Office, we focused on recruiting participants with recent experience of scenarios where algorithms could be used to inform decision-making.Further information about the CDEI’s approach to public engagement can be found here.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Railways

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much her Department spent on first class train travel for (a) ministers and (b) civil servants in (i) 2020, (i) 2021 and (iii) 2022.

Julia Lopez: The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport spent the following on first class train travel during the requested periods.April 2020 and March 2021Ministerial spend - £192.40Civil Servant spend - £66.70 April 2021 - March 2022Ministerial spend - £1,054.90Civil Servant spend - £1,181.40 April 2022 - presentMinisterial spend - £593.90Civil Servant spend - £492.50

Women and Equalities

Equal Pay

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, how many companies have signed up to the Government’s pay transparency research pilot.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what practical guidance the Government Equalities Office has prepared for employers to support pay transparency.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if he will publish the minutes of every meeting of the transparency research pilot working group.

Katherine Fletcher: In March, the Equality Hub announced a pilot study to build the evidence on the impact of employers including salary information in all job adverts, and stopping asking about previous salary during recruitment, as part of a new drive on pay transparency. In order to ensure the results from the pilot are robust, we will be running it as a controlled trial; with specific employers recruited to take part. We will make an announcement on the participating employers at a time that will ensure the outcomes of the trials are not influenced by it.The pay setting processes of employers vary widely, and are likely to have changed over the lifetime of the organisations. Many are unlikely to have established a fair and robust pay and reward process from the outset, or performed a job evaluation study. This in turn produces the conditions where unintentional pay disparities may open up. For this reason, for many organisations, moving immediately to a system of full pay transparency is likely to require a period of adjustment. That is why we also announced that we will work with employers to develop a methodology to support them to adopt these measures.This work, separate to the research pilot, will be supported by the pay transparency working group. This informal group met for the first time in September, and is made up of a mixture of employer bodies, businesses, and HR professionals. In order to facilitate rich discussion among participants, these meetings are held under Chatham House rules. This enables employers to be honest about the barriers they are facing, which will in turn inform a more effective methodology which actually engages with the issues.

Equal Pay

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, when the Government will publish its review of the impact of gender pay gap regulations.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment the Government has made of the operation of the Gender Pay Gap Regulations in each of the last five years; which Department has been responsible for that assessment; and what budget the Government has allocated to that assessment in that period.

Katherine Fletcher: This Government is committed to the empowerment of women in the workplace. Over the last decade our work has seen the gender pay gap fall considerably with the reporting regulations helping to motivate employers to improve equality in the workplace and strong growth in the number of women in full-time work.To drive forward this progress we have recently announced a groundbreaking pay transparency pilot, a new STEM returners programme and a Taskforce on Women-Led High-Growth Enterprises.We are required to carry out a review of the regulations after they’ve been in force for five years; as is the case for many other business regulations. This is being prepared by the Equality Hub. It is important that we take time to properly consider the evidence we have from the last five years, especially factoring in the effects of the pandemic, so that the review accurately reflects the implementation and impact of reporting. It will be published in due course.